A chance reunion
by Nagem
Summary: Kuronue isn't dead, he's in jail. And when one of his new friends gets a chance at redemption, he runs into the one person Kuronue thought he'd never see again. COMPLETE.
1. Another chance and Kuronue?

I am in the middle of a total writer's block at the moment, so sorry if this sucks. (which it will) Hiei: Don't all your stories suck?  
  
Nagem: Not all! At least some people like them!  
  
Hiei: Not from what I've heard!  
  
Nagem: You're not the one sending reveiws.  
  
Hiei: Hn. Nagem does not own Yu Yu Hakusho. AND THANK THE GODS THAT SHE DOESN'T!!!  
  
Nagem: Mwahahaha.   
  
(He was floating. It was nice to float like this. There was no trouble whatsoever in floating. Just there, with nothing else mattering, nothing else bothering his mind. . . .  
*Kuronue!* Kuronue rolled over in the air and looked down to see Youko Kurama, hand over eyes, glaring at him from the ground. *You should come down!*  
*Coming!* Kuronue called. Something was off, suddenly, but Kuronue couldn't put a finger on it. He went to dive down, but found he could no longer move. He felt something plunge into his back and through his middle, as several other things made their way through his legs and arms. He looked to see bamboo poles sticking out of him. Yes, this was how he almost died, how he lost his partner. On a whim, he called, *Kurama!*  
*KURONUE!!* The youko's voice was stricken with fear and laced with pain. Kuronue looked down and saw an arrow shaft sticking out from where his heart would be. *Don't you ever forget me, Kuronue, don't you ever, or I'll be back. . . . *)  
  
Kuronue woke with a gasp, and for several agonizing moments, he didn't know where he was as he thrashed about, his only thought being to rescue Kurama. Finally, he looked around at the bunk bed he had been occupying for weeks now. He put one thin hand to his face. (Just a dream,) he told himself. There was one thing, though. He had been having the same dream for weeks on end. It had to be just a dream, though. He sat up, and hit his head on the low ceiling of the jail cell that he lived in.  
"The dream again?" asked a voice. Kuronue looked over to see his cell- mate, Jeroun, looking at him from the ground. "What was it about this time?"  
"Same as always," Kuronue said, carefully making his way out of bed as not to hit his head again. Jeroun's face went from slightly concerned to curious.  
"What?" Kuronue asked, noticing the change in the other demon's face.  
  
"With . . . him?" Jeroun's voice was deadly quiet.  
"Yes," Kuronue whispered. "Him." Jeroun, who had grown up with boogie man stories about Kuronue's old partner, did not dare to speak the kitsune's name aloud. He was too afraid.  
"Do you think it means something?" he asked.  
"No," Kuronue said. "Youko is dead. I wasn't even there when he died. I was too busy trying to recover from the attack that he thought killed me."  
"The attack that got you captured?"  
"Yes," Kuronue said. "I don't even know if that's how he died. He could have gotten sick, or anything, for all I know."  
"You two were my idols," Jeroun said. "As soon as I became a thief, you two were the heroes I hoped to meet, perhaps even join."  
"I'm nothing to what Youko was," Kuronue said, bowing his head.  
"Most people don't see it that way," Jeroun said. "He was already famous by the time you met him, just not. . . . "  
"I don't need to hear it," Kuronue said. With that, the breakfast bell chimed, and the two demons were put under spell before they were brought out to the mess hall to eat.  
  
About an hour later, Kuronue and Jeroun had yet to start on their labor for the day. They had just been whipped for participating in a riot in the mess hall (Kuronue had started it) and were pressed for time as they made their way out onto the quarry, bound together by yoki-resistant handcuffs. Kuronue thought hard about Youko Kurama as he threw blow after blow onto the large rocks bordering the jail that never broke.  
"I'm gonna do it," he said aloud, pausing in the middle of a strike. Jeroun, who had found a rythm to Kuronue's movement, was thrown off-balance by the sudden pause in work.  
"What?" he asked.  
"I'm gonna break out of here," Kuronue said. "I'm gonna get out of here and start a new life." His eyes sparkled like they always did when an insane idea popped into his head.  
"Let me put this bluntly; are you INSANE??" Jeroun asked him. "You'd never get away with it. They'd catch you before you were a foot away from this place."  
"It would be what Youko would want me to do," Kuronue said, throwing another blow onto a rock and catching Jeroun off-balance again.  
"Are you gonna risk your life on what some old fox would want you to do?" Jeroun asked, completely forgetting who they were talking about. And as soon as he said it, he knew he had made a mistake.  
"Don't talk about Youko Kurama that way," Kuronue said. "Never insult him. He was my dearest friend, and he would have willingly sacrificed his life for me, if I had given him the chace to."  
"Sorry," Jeroun said quickly, wilting under the other yokai's rage. "I just mean, he's DEAD, and you're ALIVE, and I just don't think it's wise to risk your life for someone who's dead."  
"I'm not risking it 'for' him, I'm risking it in memory of him," Kuronue said.  
"SAME FRIGGIN' THING!!!" Jeroun yelled. Then they heard a voice.  
"Is one of you Jeroun the fire appiriton?" It was one of the ogres who ran the place. They were all Koenma's servants, but only the roughest and toughest could handle the job of jailkeeper. Kuronue and Jeroun both looked at the ogre, both confused on why he was there for Jeroun.  
"Yes," Jeroun said. "I am."  
"You are to come with me."  
"What for?"  
"Because your crime was not a serious one, Master Koenma has decided to give you a chance to free yourself," the ogre explained, and began walking away. "Take it or leave it." Jeroun, shocked, turned to Kuronue.  
"I should go," he said as the handcuffs vanished, only to come back around Kuronue's wrists. "But I don't want to leave you here."  
"Go," Kuronue said. "Go for me, go for Youko. And I'll try and find you when I break out of here, be it one hundred years or one thousand."  
"Thank you," Jeroun said as he ran after the ogre. Kuronue watched him go, tears in his eyes, wondering why everyone he ever tried to care about was taken away from him. Hey! You likey? You hatey? Either way, flames will be ignored because I really don't care.  
  
Oh, and I really wanted to start the next part here, but I thought it would build up suspense more if I left it till later. Sound good? If you want me to post the next chapter, please review.  
  
AND I REALLY AM SORRY IF IT SUCKS BEYOND ALL REASON!!! I AM IN THE MIDDLE OF A GREAT BIG, STINKIN' WRITER'S BLOCK!!!! 


	2. Meet Shuichi

Okay. Here we go with this. Sorry, Kuronue fans! I don't think there's going to be too much of him in this chapter. But he'll come in again sometime! I promise!  
  
Disclaimer: Yeah, yeah, we hear it from everyone. I don't own Yu Yu Hakusho either.   
  
Jeroun hardly had time to gape at Koenma's palace before two large doors swung open, revealing a brown-haired teenager with a pacifier that could only be Koenma himself. Jeroun snorted when he saw the pacifier, and was rewarded with a painful blow to the head. He growled at the man who was holding the ropes that were tied around his wrists and ankles. He then took a moment to sweep his eyes around the office, presumably looking for a way out. For some reason, his eyes fell on the person in the corner; a teenage boy (Jeroun hoped it was a boy, he had no figure in the chest area) with long red hair and thoughtful green eyes, that when they caught Jeroun's, the fire yokai had to repress a shiver. And then the redhead smiled at him, and nodded, jerking his head in Koenma's direction. Jeroun remembered his more pressing questions. He began talking before Koenma had a chance to open his mouth.  
"I was told I was gonna be given a second chance because the crime I commited was not really that serious," he said. Or meant to say. It came out more like; "IwastoldIwasgonnabegivenasecondchance becausethecrimeIcommitedwasnotreallythatserious." Koenma ducked his head and hoped that the yokai did not hear his laughter.  
"Yes, that seems to be the case," Koenma said. "It was a minor robbery, and you really didn't get anything out of it."  
"I got caught before I got out of the place," Jeroun grumbled, and he heard a soft laugh. He looked over at the redhead in the corner, who had a hand in front of his face to hide a smile. (I wonder why he thinks it's so funny,) Jeroun thought.  
"All right, then," Koenma said, jerking Jeroun out of his thoughts. "That seems to be in order. Here's the deal: You need to prove that you can go six months in the Ningenkai without revealing that you're a yokai. And you don't steal anything, either."  
"That's it?" Jeroun said, although inside his head, he was already planning. Who was gonna be there to stop him? No one, that was who. He could rob as many places as he wanted, as long as he avoided Koenma's agents.  
"That's it," Koenma said.  
"If that is all, then why am I here?" The redheaded boy had stepped forward. "Just as a witness?" Jeroun blinked. He had been wondering the same thing a few minutes before.  
"I'm glad you spoke up, I would have forgotten," Koenma said. "You will be watching Jeroun to make sure he doesn't do anything. Are you up to it?"  
"Of course," the boy said with, what Jeroun thought, was a slightly evil smile. Then the redhead turned to him. "You are Jeroun, I presume?"  
"Yes," Jeroun said, trying to keep any manners he had with him. "And you are?" The redhead opened his mouth to say something, but not before Koenma jumped in.  
"You will know him as 'Shuichi' all right?" Koenma said, looking from one to the other. "Is that all right with you?"  
"Fine," Shuichi replied. "Shall we go then?"  
"Yes, yes, get on with your lives," Koenma said, turning back into his toddler form, surprising Jeroun enough that he had to laugh, earning himself another whack from the guard with his ropes.  
  
The trip back to the Ningenkai was not a very comfortable one. Indeed, Jeroun had to admit that he was glad he was still alive at its end. Shuichi seemed quite unfazed by the trip, save for the fine shade of green that tinted his mouth. They entered the house as soon as Botan had wished him well. Shuichi cautiously turned on the light, and exhaled in releif.  
"My mother's not home," he said. "Good thing, too. It gives me more time to think up a lie about you."  
"You're not fully human," Jeroun stated in response. It had been bugging him for a while now, mainly because the boy had called upon various plants during the ride to save them from a certian crash. Shuichi smiled.  
"I'm not," he said.  
"Shuichi's not your real name, is it?"  
"I'll leave that for you to find out," Shuichi said. "Obviously Koenma doesn't want you to know too much about me. I'll tell you this, though, I'm an excellent tracker, so I'll know if you've done anything." Jeroun nodded bitterly, and wondered what Kuronue was doing. It had been early afternoon when he had been called to Koenma's office, and he had no idea how long it had taken for their discussion and the trip, only that it was nighttime in the Ningenkai. "Is there something wrong?"  
"Huh?" Jeroun looked up. Shuichi was looking at him with interest.  
"I asked you if there was anything wrong," Shuichi said. Jeroun shook his head. "Well then. Do you want anything to eat?" Jeroun nodded, his mouth suddenly watering. He was told to stay put while Shuichi vanished into one of the doorways leading off from the living room. Within minutes the house was filled with good smells that made Jeroun even more hungry. Another few minutes passed, and Shuichi called out for him, and Jeroun followed his voice into the kitchen, where some plates were set up with food on them. Jeroun stared. Shuichi smiled. "Does it look good?"  
"Hai!" Jeroun said, a little too loudly. "Gomen," he added as Shuichi looked at him. With that, the two sat down and began to eat.  
  
A while later, Jeroun had to admit that he was quite full, not to mention warm, happy and content. He sat in one of the many armchairs in the living room while Shuichi was asleep in one. Jeroun wondered briefly if he should try to escape, and remembered Shuichi's earlier words about him being a good tracker. Jeroun dropped the thought. He heard something, almost like gravel crunching outside the house. He sat up straight in his chair. Shuichi must have heard the sound, too (A/N: Duh.) because he was up in a moment and walking over to Jeroun.  
"Remember, this woman is fully human," Shuichi said. Jeroun could only guess Shuichi was talking about the "mother" he had mentioned earlier. "So nothing about the Reikai, Makai, or anything. And I'm just Shuichi."  
"I don't know you as anything else," Jeroun grumbled. "And this woman is your mother?" Shuichi nodded as the front door opened.  
"Shuichi! I'm home!" Jeroun watched as a woman moved into the living room. She was very pretty, dressed in a brown skirt and a white blouse with a faded brown jacket thrown over her shoulders. Her brownish-black hair was pulled away from her face by a ribbon that tied near the back of her neck. She smiled when she saw Jeroun-a first. "Oh? A friend?" She also didn't automatically go into a defense mode when she saw Jeroun-another first.  
"Okaa-san," Shuichi said, moving toward her. Jeroun wondered how he was going to explain this. "He's a friend from school. I found him out on the streets today. He says he has nowhere to go. So I brought him here." Jeroun's eyes widened. (This guy could be a good thief if he wanted to!) Jeroun thought, noticing how calmly he said the lie. (A/N: Jeroun really has no clue of who he's dealing with, does he?) Shiori's face went from forceably polite to pitying.  
"Oh, you poor, poor, thing!" she cried, walking over to Jeroun and hugging him. Jeroun was so surprised that all he could do was look over Shiori's shoulder at Shuichi, who looked about ready to laugh his head off. "You can stay here as long as you need to." Jeroun worked hard into making his face look slightly thankful and slightly puzzled.  
"Are you sure it's all right?" Jeroun asked. Shiori nodded, and Shuichi shot him a warning look. (I'm not gonna tell her anything!) Jeroun wanted to yell at the redhead.  
"I'll go get you something to eat," she said. "And Shuichi, go prepare the guest room for . . . "  
"Jeroun, okaa-san," Shuichi said. "I'll be back down when it's ready."  
  
"And Shuichi already gave me something to eat," Jeroun said, not wanting, for some odd reason, to take more than he had to out of the family. "And I couldn't eat anything else right now." Shiori smiled at her son.  
"You really know how to take care of a guest," she said, a hint of pride in her voice. Shuichi smiled as well, and Jeroun watched as the boy made his way up the stairs.  
  
Kuronue wiped the sweat from his brow. Even though it was night in the Makai, it was hot, not to mention dark. He looked up at the rock he had been chipping away at for the past two hours. It was one of the rocks bordering the jail, and, if one looked closely enough, one could see little niches in it. Niches that were just big enough to fit a foot or hand in. After Jeroun had been taken away by the oni, Kuronue rethough his plan of escape. And he had started chipping the footholds in the rock, only stopping when an oni walked by. A few hours before sundown, he had seen the oni that had taken Jeroun away; and Jeroun was not with him. Kuronue ran up to the guard.  
"Well?" he asked the oni.  
"Nani?" the oni asked back.  
"Jeroun," Kuronue said. "The fire appirition?"  
"He was sent to the Ningenkai," the oni said. "They are leaving in about an hour. And you are not to see them." The oni had added when a questioning look made its way over Kuronue's face. He mentally cursed the oni and went back to his footholds.  
Now, nearly five hours later, Kuronue was tired, cranky, but still wanted to work on his escape. He told himself it was not a good idea as he looked at the wall he could barely see. What if he messed up one he had already worked so hard on? What if he started making them in the wrong place? Both possibilities could seriously hinder his escape plan. And he wanted to see Jeroun before the fire demon screwed up his chance. Then Kuronue though of something.  
::Jeroun?:: he mind-called tentavely, not wanting to draw attention from someone else. ::Jeroun! HEY! Can you hear me?::  
::Huh? Nani?:: Jeroun had obviously been very comfortable or very preoccupied. (Curses on him) Kuronue thought. ::Kuronue!!::  
::You in the Ningenkai?:: Kuronue asked.  
::Yeah.::  
::Alone?::  
::Nope. I'm staying with a . . . er, well he tries to be human, and his "mother" is human, but he's not,:: Jeroun explained.  
::Who is it? Anyone we might know?:: Kuronue asked.  
::Dunno.:: Jeroun said. ::All I know is his human name is "Shuichi Minamino" Ring any bells?::  
::Nope,:: Kuronue said. ::But you should try and find out his demon form. Tell him stories about you, about me, even. All the stories I told you, and the times we spent together here at this jail.::  
::Really . . . :: Jeroun sounded skeptical.  
::But, refer to me as "Kanon", so he doesn't know who I really am for when I join you two,:: Kuronue said. ::I don't want anyone to know I'm alive until I can make a strong comeback.::  
::Kanon? Where did that come from?:: Jeroun asked. Then he realized what Kuronue had said. ::YOU'RE STILL PLANNING ON ESCAPING!?!?!?::  
::In that order; I have no idea where the name came from. Someone called me it once, I think,:: Kuronue said. ::And, yes, I'm still gonna get out of here. You can bet on it.::   
  
Okay, so Kuronue was in this chapter more than I thought. But man, Jeroun really has no idea of who he's dealing with, does he?  
  
Kurama: It's KURAMA! YOUKO KURAMA, Jeroun, you nuthead!!  
  
Hiei and Nagem: O.O;  
  
Kurama: Ku-ra-ma, Ku-ra-ma! Ple-ase-re-ve-iw!!  
  
Hiei and Nagem: O.o;;;;;;; 


	3. One more month

Okay, here's chappy three. I hope ya all enjoy it. (That sounded really pathetic. "Ya all," honestly. . . . No offense to anyone who says or likes that saying . . . oh, screw it, I'll just shut my big mouth.) Oh, and just so you know, there shall be NO yaoi in this story. (but there might be some hints of it, depending on what happens. DON'T FLAME MEEEEEEEE!!!)  
  
Disclaimer: I do not, and never shall, own Yu Yu Hakusho, even though I asked nicely for it   
  
When Jeroun woke up the next morning, it took him a few moments to remember why he was in a proper bed. He looked around at the guest room Shuichi had "given" to him the night before. He wondered why the redheaded boy had obeyed Koenma. Was it some sort of agreement between the two? Was he the Reikai Tantei? (No way,) Jeroun thought. Or was he something else? There was suddenly a knock on the door.  
"Hey! You up?" Shuichi's voice rang through the room. Jumping out of bed, Jeroun pulled on a pair of pants before calling, "Come in!" to the other boy. Shuichi entered and smiled as he saw Jeroun struggling his way into one of the shirts Shiori had given him while she washed his clothes the night before.  
"You know, you could have told me to wait," Shuichi said. "It wouldn't offend me, if that's what you're worried about." Jeroun fell over and got hurridly back up onto his feet.  
"Nah, it's okay," he said as he finally got the shirt over his head. Then he looked around. "Is your mother home?"  
"No, she left early this morning for a business trip," Shuichi said. He glanced at Jeroun's face. "Why?"  
"I just want to get a few things straight," Jeroun said. "Who exactly are you?" Shuichi looked at the floor.  
"I am Shuichi, until Koenma sees it fit to call me otherwise," Shuichi said. Jeroun sighed.  
"Okay then," he said. "Then why are you my 'keeper'? Why did Koenma not send the job to the Reikai Tantei?"  
"Number one, I am a part of the Reikai Tantei," Shuichi said. "And number two, because I am . . . was a thief who was given a second chance by Koenma. He must have thought that I would be the best for looking after another thief."  
"Really?" Jeroun replied, quite interested. "Did you have to go through what I am?"  
"Not exactly, but I did have trials to overcome," Shuichi said. Jeroun could tell that Shuichi did not really enjoy talking about this, and decided to drop the subject.  
"Well then, what's on the agenda for today?" Shuichi shrugged. "Would you like to tell me more about yourself?" Jeroun remembered what Kuronue had said the night before and nodded.  
"That's be cool," Jeroun said.  
"Then shall we go down for breakfast?"  
"Hai!"  
  
Jeroun talked about why he had become a thief.  
"At first, I was kinda against the idea . . . but then I had no other choice," Jeroun said. Shuichi nodded as he took another bite of toast.  
"I know," he said after he had swallowed. "It was the same for me as well." Jeroun grinned. He hadn't honestly opened up this much since he had met Kuronue. "So . . . what's the jail like?"  
"What do you mean?"  
"I've never gotten caught," Shuichi explained. "Well, yeah, I did, but I got my second chance before I was taken into jail." (Whew!) "Shuichi" thought. (That was a close one! I'd better not take any more chances like that.)  
"Well, it wasn't too bad, I guess," Jeroun said. "The beds weren't too hard, but the food was terrible and we work all day and sometimes even more."  
"Not that good of a trade-off, was it?" Shuichi joked, grinning.  
"Not really," Jeroun said, and they both burst out laughing. "But my cell-mate's pretty cool. He was there when I was brought in, and he. . . . " Jeroun trailed off, wondering if he should mention Youko Kurama. The name would probably scare Shuichi out of his wits. (A/N: NOT!!!) (Later,) Jeroun decided. "He helped show me the ropes."  
"Really," Shuichi said.  
"Yeah, and when I asked him why, he said that he remembered when he was brought in that he was whipped because he wasn't working as fast as he should have, or things like that."  
"Ouch," Shuichi replied. "I didn't know it was so rough over there."  
"It is," Jeroun replied. "But we were fast friends and we were always helping each other out. In fact, the day I left, I was about to get into trouble when he caused a food fight to give me a chance at escape."  
"Cool," Shuichi said. Then . . . "What's his name?" Jeroun winced, and breifly wondered if he should ignore the name Kuronue had given him the night before.  
"It's . . . " Jeroun said, unsure. "Kanon," he finished hesitantly. Shuichi looked thoughtful, and Jeroun wondered if the other had seen through his lie.  
"Never heard of him," Shuichi said. "'Course I can't know of everyone!!"  
"Yeah," Jeroun agreed. And he launched into a story about how he and "Kanon" had gotten into a fight in the halls about who the better thief was.  
  
Kuronue sighed and wiped the sweat from his brow. He had gotten up early that morning so that he could work on his handholds without interruption. It had worked. He was about one-fourth of the way up the wall by now, but it was getting harder and harder to switch between rock and rock wall. In fact, earlier that morning, he had almost been caught.  
"You there, chimera!" an oni had yelled as Kuronue held up his pick in an act that he was about to hit a random rock. He stopped, face completely innocent.  
"Hai?"  
"What were you doing on the wall a minute ago?"  
"I was on the wall?"  
"Don't play dumb."  
"I wasn't on the wall, sir," Kuronue said, blinking several times in hopes of improving his innocent act. He smiled at the memory, Youko had taught him that. Then he remembered that Youko was dead. His face quickly sobered. He sighed. It was sometime in the afternoon, and the onis were keeping an annoyingly close watch on him.  
::Jeroun!:: he mind-called, deciding that he needed someone to talk to.  
::Kuronue! I was in the middle of telling Shuichi a story about you!!::  
::You're using my fake name, I hope?:: Kuronue asked.  
::Hai,:: Jeroun said. ::Please go away. Shuichi's looking at me like I'm crazy.::  
::Ha ha ha,:: Kuronue said. ::Anyway, I just decided to tell you that it's probably gonna be another month, give or take, before I get out of here.::  
::Really. . . . :: Jeroun didn't sound to happy about it.  
::I'm not gonna get caught!:: Kuronue said, hearing the hint of worry, tired of the well-argued subject.  
::All righty then,:: Jeroun said. ::Another month. Do you think I should tell Shuichi?::  
::Don't,:: Kuronue said.  
::Why not?::  
::I don't know. I just have a bad feeling about him,:: Kuronue said.  
::Why?::  
::I don't know,:: Kuronue said. ::I just honestly don't know.::   
  
Sorry this chapter was so short! I didn't want to go making up a bunch of fake stories about Kurama, Kuronue, and Jeroun. It didn't sound to fun, and I don't wanna get flamed.  
  
Anyway, what's this "feeling" Kuronue has about out dear Shuichi? *coughcoughKuramacough* NOT AT ALL BAD!! I ALREADY SAID NO YAOI, FOR ALL YOU SICKOS OUT THERE!!! Oh, and because someone asked me nicely *coughcoughNOTcough* there shall be . . . (drumroll, please) HIEI!!! Yay! I get to put our favorite fire demon in!! Please review!!  
  
Oh, and for those of you who haven't figured out who "Shuichi" is, you deserve to have your head hit on a rock until you can't remember this story. Just kidding! Honest, just kidding. *ducks numerous random pointy things thrown by Yu Yu Hakusho people* I'm already working on the next chapter. *ducks more random pointy things* WHAT WAS THAT FOR!?!?!? *chases after Yu Yu Hakusho people* DIE!! 


	4. Meet my friends

Just so everyone knows, I didn't kill the Yu Yu Hakusho people. Even if I did, I couldn't admit to it cause I don't own them. I would like to kill certian fire demons who throw their katana at me for no good reason. *ducks Hiei's katana* HA!!  
  
Disclaimer: I already said it. Do I need to say it again?  
  
Kuronue: *appears out of nowhere* Yeah.  
  
Nagem: KURONUE!!!!!! YAY!!!!!  
  
Kuronue *sweatdrops* Huh?  
  
Nagem: *Tackles Kuronue* Cool! Yay! *hugs him so hard she begins to cut off his airstream* I knew you weren't dead, I knew you weren't dead, I knew you weren't dead . . . *notices Kuronue's blue face.* Are you all right? Kuronue?? Kuronue!!!  
  
Hiei, Kurama, Yusuke . . . you get the idea: O.O;  
  
Nagem: *sobbing* I don't own Yu Yu Hakusho!! *wails* KURONUE!!   
  
It had been three, almost four weeks since Jeroun had come to the Ningenkai. He rather enjoyed the life he lived there. He had seen Shuichi's mother on and off, but she was always nice and ready to help him in any way she could. He still worried about Kuronue and when he was going to escape . . . and if he was going to survive the attempt. He had yet to mention Kuronue's partnership with Youko Kurama for two reasons. One; If Shuichi knew about Youko Kurama, he could easily figure out that Jeroun was lieing about Kuronue's name being "Kanon" and Two; The redhead always went rather quiet whenever the kitsune was mentioned. One day he went downstairs to see Shuichi smiling happily.  
"What's up?" Jeroun asked as he sat down at the table. "Why are you so happy?" Shuichi turned and set a plate of eggs and bacon down in front of Jeroun.  
"Well, I decided because you haven't tried anything fishy," Shuichi began. "I thought I'd invite the rest of the Reikai Tentai, plus a few friends, over to see how everyone gets along!" Jeroun blinked, and looked down at his plate.  
"Are you sure Koenma's okay with this?" Jeroun asked.  
"Ah, he won't mind. And he can't do anything to you because it was my idea, if that's what you're worried about," Shuichi said. Jeroun wanted to talk about something else besides the punishment he would receive if he did something wrong.  
"Your mother's out again?" Jeroun asked. She had come home a few days after Jeroun and Shuichi's first real discussion, and then left again for two weeks, and had come home for one.  
"Yeah, early this morning," Shuichi said. "Before either of us were up." Jeroun nodded and shovled a bite of eggs into his mouth.  
"When is everyone coming over?" Jeroun asked, deciding he'd meet the rest of the team even if he didn't want to.  
"I called them last night," Shuichi said. "Today at . . . oh! They'll be here in about fifteen minutes!!" Jeroun choked on his breakfast.  
"What? Fifteen minutes!"  
"Actually, one of us is already here," came a voice from one of the windows in the kitchen. Jeroun looked over to see a short demon with spiky black hair and a white headband sitting on the windowsill. He wore all black and had threw out enough yoki to make Jeroun nervous. Shuichi, however, smiled at the newcomer.  
"Hello, Hiei," Shuichi said. "Breakfast?" He offered a plate, the one he was about to eat, to Hiei. Hiei scowled.  
"Hn," he said. "I don't know why I come to these things you ningens call parties." He glanced over at Jeroun. "So this is him?"  
"Yep," Shuichi said. "Rather quiet and creepy at first, but nice enough once you get to know him. Rather like you, Hiei." Both demons glared at Shuichi.  
"I'm not like him!" they both yelled at once.  
"Relax, I was only joking," Shuichi said as he took a bite of his breakfast. "So . . . in case you haven't got the point, Jeroun, this is Hiei, and Hiei, his name is Jeroun."  
"Nice to meet you," Jeroun said. "I guess."  
"Hn. I should leave right now," Hiei said. (Bastard,) Jeroun thought.  
  
"There'll be sweet snow once everyone gets here," Shuichi said. "And Yukina will be here as well. What would happen if Kuwabara. . . ."  
"All right! I get the point!" Hiei yelled. "I'll stay." Shuichi was working hard to surpress a laugh, and Jeroun felt there was something he had missed. He had no time to ponder it, as there were several loud yells coming from the front door along with the insistant ringing of the annoying thing Shuichi called a "doorbell."  
"Hang on, that's probably Yusuke and Kuwabara," Shuichi said, leaving the kitchen. Jeroun heard a muffled, "Hey Kur-mmmfff!" before he heard Shuichi's voice hiss, "I'm Shuichi today, okay guys?"  
"How long are you gonna be Shuichi?"  
"Probably until Jeroun leaves," Shuichi said.  
"Jeroun?"  
"That's the dude I'm watching to make sure he doesn't try anything fishy," Shuichi said. "Just do as I ask, okay?"  
"Gotcha," said another voice. A few moments later Shuichi re-entered the kitchen followed by two boys, one with dark hair and one with orange hair.  
"And these are?"  
"The dimwit and the baka," Hiei muttered under his breath. But, because the kitchen was so crowded, everyone heard it.  
"I am not a baka!" the dark-haired boy yelled.  
"I was talking about Kuwabaka," Hiei said. "You're the dimwit, Yusuke."  
"Oh," the dark-haired boy-Yusuke-said. "Misunderstood you." Kuwabaka, as Hiei had called him, glared at the short fire demon.  
"Anyway, Jeroun," Shuichi interrupted, "The one with the dark hair is Yusuke, and the one with the orange hair is not Kuwabaka, but Kuwabara."  
"I can see how you would mistake the name," Jeroun said to Hiei. Kuwabara glared at him. Hiei glared back. Everyone ignored them. Jeroun leaned over to Shuichi. "This is their normal behavior?" he asked, truly curious that two "friends" could act like this to each other.  
"Yeah," Shuichi said. "But you'll get used to it."  
"Really?"  
"Not too hard to," Yusuke said as Shuichi ran off to answer another calling of the doorbell. "But it does get annoying sometimes, too."  
"KAZUMA KUWABARA!!!!" A young woman with long light-brown hair stormed in and began whalloping on Kuwbara's head. Shuichi was in the kitchen a split second later trying to get her to stop. He didn't have much luck, because every time the woman brought her hand back for a punch, Shuichi would end up getting hit in the face.  
"Shizuru, ouch, please stop, umph, this house isn't a place for ouch! Violence. WILL YOU STOP HITTING ME?!?!?" Everyone stared at him. "Sorry. It's just frustrating to try and explain something when the person you're explaining it to keeps smacking you in the face."  
"Sorry Ku-Shuichi," the woman-Shizuru, caught herself as she almost said something besides "Shuichi". Jeroun's attention was suddenly caught by two more females standing in the doorway to the kitchen. One had blue hair tied back into a single ponytail and the other had short brown hair that she let frame her face. Shuichi smiled politely and walked up to them.  
"Hello, Keiko, Botan," he said. Then he motioned over to Jeroun. "This is Jeroun, the one I told you about. Remember?" Both nodded. "Good. Jeroun, this is Keiko-" he pointed to the brown-haired one "-And Botan." He guestered to the other one. Both nodded, and Jeroun smiled. "The one who was hitting Kuwabara just now is Shizuru, Kuwabara's older sister." Shizuru walked right up to Jeroun and extended her hand. Jeroun shook it, afraid that she would start whalloping him, and backed into a corner to let the others converse.  
"Did you invite the toddler, Shuichi?" Yusuke asked.  
"No, I thought it would be better not to, since I'm not sure he would approve of Jeroun meeting everyone," Shuichi said. "I just felt the guy needed a little change of pace."  
"Must be hard, being locked up, first in jail, and then here," Keiko said. "Not that here's a bad place or anything, Shuichi."  
"Yeah, I felt bad while I was bringing the two of them back from the Spirit World," Botan said. Jeroun stared at her.  
"So you're the one who brought me here," he said.  
"You finally recognize me!" Botan grinned. "And here I was thinking I'd been forgotten."  
"Baka ferrygirl," Hiei commented. (A/N: I just love his little side comments, don't you? ^__^) Then a curious look came over his face. "Did you invite Yukina, Shuichi?" Everyone looked as though a miracle had occured. Jeroun could tell, even from just the two minutes he had spent with Hiei, that the shorter fire demon did not voice his feelings or thoughts very often, much less in a guesture of concern or interest that he had displayed here.  
"Y-yes," Shuichi said. Then Kuwabara sprang forward.  
"What would you care, Shrimp?" he asked. Yusuke, Botan, and Shuichi stared at him. Kuwabara obviously took this the wrong way. "What? Am I missing something here? Hang on . . . does he think he's in love with her?" Yusuke, Botan, and Shuichi obviously found this very funny. Yusuke fell onto the floor laughing, Botan was giggling while clutching at a counter for support, and Shuichi was doing his best, and failing miserably, to hold back laughter that was rising in his throat.  
"I DO NOT, YOU DAMNED NINGEN!!" Hiei yelled at the top of his voice. Jeroun looked around with a confused look on his face. He wasn't the only one, either. Keiko, Shizuru, and Kuwabara looked just as confused as Jeroun felt.  
"What's so funny?" he mouthed to Shuichi.  
"Later," Shuichi mouthed in response, as soon as he could control himself. Just then, everything seemed to pause with one little voice.  
"Is there something I missed?" The commotion that Hiei, Kuwabara, Yusuke, Botan, and Shuichi had caused stopped as everyone looked over to see a small girl, about Hiei's size, with green-blue hair pulled away from her face and red eyes, that looked very much like Hiei's, Jeroun noted. On that thought, he opened his mouth to ask a very dangerous question.  
"Hey, ma'am, are you and Hiei look very much alike. Are you two- mmmmmmmfffff!!!" Shuichi had slapped his hand over Jeroun's mouth, blocking out the last word. It was a good thing, too as Hiei had realized what he was going to say and was throwing obvious death glares in his direction. Shuichi lauged nervously.  
"No, Yukina, you didn't miss a thing," Shuichi said. "I have to go and talk to Jeroun for a moment. We'll be right back."  
"Okay then," Yukina said cheerfully, but it seemed that she had caught onto Jeroun's sentence, for she was looking in Hiei's direction now. (A/N: I am SO setting up a sequal here. I can see it now . . . don't kill me, Hiei!!) When Shuichi had drug Jeroun out into the sitting room, he had a very serious look on his face.  
"Okay, here's the deal," Shuichi said. "Yes, Yukina and Hiei are siblings, but they were seperated when they were young. We found Yukina about a year or so ago (A/N: I think it's been that long. If it hasn't, it should be.) but Hiei does not want to tell her the truth. He feels he'd be hurting her, because he's . . . he's . . . a murderer, and such. Okay?"  
"He should tell her," Jeroun said in response.  
"We all agree. And we would tell her if Hiei didn't threaten to kill us," Shuichi said. He began to walk back into the kitchen where very forced conversation was being held.  
"Dang, that's harsh!!" Jeroun said before he joined Shuichi.  
  
Kuronue ticked step after step off of the mental list he had made for his escape plan. He had handholds all the way up the wall, he was ready to go at any moment, he had a lie ready for when he met Shuichi and Jeroun, now all he needed was a chance to get out. Going back to his cell one night, he loosened a stone in the floor in the corner and wedged it out. Under it were various things he had stolen from the guards over the years. Hey, he hadn't been Youko Kurama's partner for nothing! Here was his answer. He picked up several peices of gold and caught the attention of the demon in the next cell over.  
"What do you want?"  
"You to help me," Kuronue said.  
"What's in it for me?"  
"This," Kuronue held up the gold. "And most everything else that I own here in this jail."  
"That is?" Kuronue estimated quickly.  
"Nearly enough to buy yourself out of this place," Kuronue said. "What do you say to that?" The other demon was interested. He was rubbing his hands together and licking his lips.  
"What do I have to do to get it?"  
"Cause a diversion after breakfast, just long enough for something to scale the wall," Kuronue said. "I'll put the gold next to the wall outside. You can go and get it after you do your part."  
"Sounds good," the demon said.  
  
"And here's a little something in advance." Kuronue tossed a peice of gold to the other demon and laid down to go to sleep, hoping that the other demon had not sensed Kuronue's intentions.   
  
Okay! Another chapter! Let's throw a party! *Parties* Well, that was fun. I'll be working on the next chapter after I finish this one, so fear not! I shall update soon!  
  
Oh, and I'm sorry about the "you sickos" comment in the last chapter. I didn't mean it the way some people took it, and I should take it out, but I'm too lazy. I know this sounds like a pathetic excuse, but I was in a bad mood when I wrote last time. All of my friends were yelling at me to update, I was tired of reviews screaming, "NO YAOI!!" (Of course, that might be my own fault right there, and I'm sick. So, sorry, please don't quit reading, and all of that.  
  
Bye! -Nagem 


	5. The escape and the mistake

Okay then. Here's chapter five. Yay! I'm finally getting to the good part! Much happiness in Nagem's world!! *dances around* Yay! Yay!  
  
Kuronue: Don't you have a disclaimer to say?  
  
Nagem: Hiei's saying it this time.  
  
Hiei: Why me?  
  
Nagem: Because I want you to. And I'll torture you endlessly if you don't.  
  
Hiei: Fine, fine, Nagem does not own Yu Yu Hakusho or anything else.   
  
"Hey! What's all this? I thought you said these demons were under control!"  
"I thought they were! I honestly thought they were!"  
Kuronue heard this last snippet of conversation as he dashed down the corridor away from the mess hall. (My luck,) he thought as he dashed out into the rock quarry where his handholds were. (That there's an important officer the day I make my escape.) The demon, whoever he had been, had done his part well by starting a very large food fight. After Kuronue had made sure that there was no one watching him, he had slipped out of the mess hall door and began to run. The sack of gold he was planning to leave for the demon slapped against his hip, and he briefly wondered if he should keep the sack for himself. Then he shook his head.  
  
"I promised," he reminded himself. If he was going to turn over a new leaf to avoid being caught again, then he had to start somewhere. But on the same note, he pulled out several, valuable, peices of gold from the sack. Just in case. By this time, he had reached the wall where he had dug out the handholds. He took a quick glance up, gulped, and grabbed the lowest set while starting to pull himself up. He threw the bag with the payment in it to the ground as he climbed higher and higher.  
"I thought I saw someone run out here." Kuronue gulped as he caught the sound of several oni officers making their way outside. He scrambled up faster, using his slightly crippled wings to help him up. He heard more shouts, and several beads of sweat made their way down his face. He was almost there, only a few more handholds left . . . when an arrow wedged itself into the space a few inches from his outstretched hand.  
"Oh, shit," he mumbled. He grabbed the arrow and used it to pull himself up, ignoring the several arrows that were being fired as he did so. A few heart-pounding moments later he managed to haul his upper body onto the top of the wall. He swung one leg up, and then another, and laid flat on the wall to avoid being a target for more arrows. He looked over the to the other side. It was as smooth as the interior was before Kuronue's handholds, providing no way to get down without certian death, unless one could fly. "No wonder no one hardly ever makes it out of here alive." He spread his wings out, and pushed himself off the wall, hoping they would make some sort of a hangglider effect as he began to fall.  
"I think he jumped!"  
"Is he mad?"  
"That's what I'm wondering," Kuronue said to himself as he continued to fall. Then he caught an updraft and managed to slow himself a little. Then there was another, and another . . . by the time he had fallen all the way down, there had been enough updrafts to keep him from killing himself by landing too hard. He looked around, and he heard doors opening. "And now, the chase."  
  
"Are your friends always this messy?" Jeroun asked Shuichi as the two cleaned up after the party. Somehow, it had turned into an overnighter when Shizuru had gotten drunk and promptly passed out on the couch. Then, one by one, the others had fallen asleep as well, even Hiei, worn out from his sugar high. Jeroun had been amazed, amused, and scared at the same time when things had started to heat up. But Shuichi, being the gentleman his friends knew him for, had stopped everyone before things had really gotten out of hand.  
"Yeah." Shuichi replied, picking up one of Shizuru's empty beer cans. It was mid-afternoon by now, they had managed to get everyone out of the house by twelve or so, and then the clean-up for Shiori's return had begun.  
"So when is your mother getting home?" Jeroun asked as he knelt down to look for trash under the couch.  
"Around noon tomorrow."  
"Do you think we can get this done by then?"  
"I'm sure we can," Shuichi replied. He was under the glass coffee table, looking for a can Yusuke said he had dropped on accident. Jeroun watched him with interest as he made his way further under the table. He smiled.  
"I'm going to go put this stuff in the trash out in the kitchen," Jeroun told Shuichi. Shuichi started to nod, but then thought better of it.  
  
"Go ahead," he said. Jeroun was in the kitchen dumping the stuff into the trash when he felt a shiver go down his spine. (Kuronue!) he thought. (I hope nothing happened to him) Just then another shiver went down his spine. He had to admit later that he had felt like a little kid as he ran out of the kitchen into the sitting room where Shuichi was still under the table.  
"Kanon!" he yelled at the top of his lungs. "Kanon!"  
"What the-?" Shuichi said, startled, and started to bring his head up to look at his friend. Big mistake. There was a crack as head met glass, and Shuichi, feeling rather Youko-ish at the moment, let out a cheerful array of words that made Jeroun stare. "What?" Shuichi demanded, very cranky, as he pulled himself out from under the table.  
"I've never heard you curse before," Jeroun said.  
"Sorry," Shuichi said. "I was just in a bad mood because I didn't get much sleep last night and when I hit my head. . . . "  
"I understand," Jeroun told him. "It's okay."  
"What were you yelling about?" Shuichi asked. "Something about Kanon, if I can remember correctly."  
"I thought he was in trouble," Jeroun told Shuichi. "There was a chill down my spine, and I just thought, you know. . . . " Jeroun trailed off with a hopeful glance at Shuichi.  
"I understand," Shuichi told his friend quickly. "I know what you mean."  
"Thanks," Jeroun said. "Saves me a bit of explaining."  
"Now, can we get back to cleaning this place up?"  
"Right." I bet you all thought I was gonna end here. Nope! There's more!! Hee hee. (That was pointless)   
  
Kuronue was tired. He had spent hours running from the onis and other various things chasing after him when he had escaped from the jail. When he had gotten to a reasonable spot away from the jail, sometime in the late afternoon, he had two arrows in him, and had nearly killed himself opening a portal to the Ningenkai. After that, he had rested for a few hours trying to regain enough energy to shift into a human form like Jeroun claimed he had. Now, even as he walked through a Ningen town without any traces of his demon self, he felt rather nervous. He had to find where this "Shuichi" was. He paused . . . he had no idea how hard this was going to be or whether or not he could even do it.  
"I suppose I could just follow Jeroun's energy," he said to himself. He closed his eyes and probed around him with his own energy. He felt something, but it was very faint, almost as if the demon had been here before and had gone back rather quickly. He probed deeper. There, there it was. (About a mile away,) Kuronue thought. Then he looked up at the sky. He was no expert on Ningen time-keeping, but the fact that the sun was setting told him it was going to be dark in about ten, twenty or so minutes. He wondered how long it was going to take him to walk that mile. He walked into a nearby forest.  
  
Kuronue shifted to his demon form as soon as he knew he was out of eyesight and earshot of anyone in the town. Using his wings to fly short distances, he cut the time it took him to "walk" the mile. Still, even allowing a few detours (Jeroun's energy signal wasn't the straightest ever) it was dark when he got to the house where he had felt Jeroun's energy come from. Climbing up the tree he had found, he peered into a window. Inside, he saw a bed with red sheets with a lump in them. He smiled. Jeroun had once described his bed as red, an extra bunch of Shuichi's sheets, he said. Jeroun had also described his human form, as not to confuse him with Shuichi. Brown hair and brown eyes, the other demon had described himself by. Once he had inched himself to the window, Kuronue unlocked it and slipped in.  
  
The room was very plain. There was a bookshelf, a desk with a computer on it, a chest of drawers, and the bed, whose occupant hadn't moved an inch when Kuronue had come in. Kuronue wondered about letting out a burst of ki to wake Jeroun, but if what he had said was true, and Shuichi was really a demon, then he would risk waking Shuichi as well. So, instead, he went over and began to nudge the red blankets on the bed.  
"Wake up, Jeroun," Kuronue muttered. "Wake up, I'm here. I told you I'd be here. Hey!" He began to shake the blankets. "Jeroun! Come on! Wake up already. I know, I should have told you I'd be here tonight, but this is stupid. You're playing a trick on me! JEROUN!!" There was a breif moan, and the covers stirred on their own. There was a burst of ki that was NOT Jeroun's, and Kuronue saw a mess of red hair peek out from under the blankets. And two large, emerald-green eyes stared at him.   
  
Hee hee. Looks like Kuro made a mistake. Can you guess who he woke up?  
  
Kuronue: You're evil.  
  
Nagem: Yes, I am.  
  
Kuronue: What kind of idea is this???  
  
Nagem: Please review!! 


	6. Why my head?

Hello there! Sorry, this took FOREVER to write. I swear, with school, and those stupid piano lessons, and stupid after-school programs . . . they're PLOTTING to keep me from my ficcys. *Cries* Waaaaah! Anyway, I think that you'l enjoy this chappie.  
  
Kuronue: Let's hope so.  
  
Nagem: KURO!! DON'T BE MEAN!!!  
  
Kuronue: You're the one who almost killed me.  
  
Nagem: n__n;;; yes, well . . . about that . . . *forgets what she was going to say.* Hmmm. . . . *Begins to ponder what she was going to say*  
  
Kuronue: *Knowing it will take days for her to figure it out* Nagem does not own Yu Yu Hakusho, or anything else that pops up.   
It took Kuronue about 0.05 seconds before he realized he was in his demon form. He quickly changed back to his human form, praying that Shuichi hadn't noticed anything. Shuichi's mouth dropped slightly, and Kuronue winced.He was surprised enough that he had walked in on the wrong member of the house, let alone the fact that the boy sent a feeling of familiarity down his spine, and now the boy had seen his demon form. Shuichi didn't feel anything familiar about the stranger that was looming over his bed, he was just scared out of his wits. Indeed, when Shuichi opened his mouth to tell Kuronue to get out, the words were not what came out.  
"AAAAAAHHHHHH!!!! WHO ARE YOU?!?!?" Shuichi demanded of Kuronue, jumping away from him. Kuronue pretty much responded in kind.  
"WHERE'S JEROUN?!?!?! WHAT HAVE YOU DONE WITH HIM?!?!" Kuronue demanded of Shuichi, getting knocked away from the bed as Shuichi jumped out of it. Something clicked in Shuichi's brain at that moment. (He knows Jeroun,) Shuichi thought. (Jeroun was a thief. Therefore. . . . )  
"GET OUT OF HERE, THEIF!!" Shuichi yelled at the top of his lungs, running and grabbing his biology book from its place on his desk.  
"Hang on," Kuronue said. "What are you gonna-" WHACK! "That hurt!" WHACK! "OUCH!!" WHACK!  
"GET OUT OF HERE!" WHACK!  
"STOP HITTING ME!!" WHACK!!  
"YOU THINK YOU CAN GET AWAY WITH BREAKING INTO MY HOUSE?!?!" WHACK!!!  
"JUST STOP HITTING ME!!" WHACK!! By this time, Shuichi had managed to chase Kuronue to the stairs. "PLEASE! LISTEN TO ME!!" WHACK!!  
"GET OUT OF HERE!!"  
"HAAAALP! I'M BEING CHASED BY A MAD NINGEN WITH A BOOK!!!" WHACK!!!  
  
Jeroun was nearly asleep when he heard it.  
"AAAAAAHHHHHH!!!! WHO ARE YOU?!?!?"  
"WHERE'S JEROUN?!?!?! WHAT HAVE YOU DONE WITH HIM?!?!" There was a moment's silence, then . . .  
"GET OUT OF HERE, THIEF!!!" Jeroun sat up in bed. (Kuronue??) he briefly wondered. Then he wondered if he should go help one of them. Nah. They could work it out on their own. WHACK!! Jeroun jumped out of bed. WHACK!  
"OUCH!!" WHACK!  
"GET OUT OF HERE!" WHACK!  
  
STOP HITTING ME!!" WHACK!! Jeroun wondered what in the world Shuichi had managed to grab that would make Kuronue yell like that. Instantly, several bad thoughts entered his brain. He shook them out.  
"YOU THINK YOU CAN GET AWAY WITH BREAKING INTO MY HOUSE?!?!" WHACK! (Oh my, he thinks Kuronue's breaking in!) Jeroun thought. (Perhaps I should go help.)  
"JUST STOP HITTING ME!!" It was odd to hear Kuronue begging someone to stop hitting him. Usually people couldn't get close enough to smack him. Jeroun had tried numerous times. "PLEASE! LISTEN TO ME!!" WHACK!!  
"GET OUT OF HERE!!" WHACK!! Jeroun raced out of his room and down the hall just in time to hear Kuronue say his last words.  
"HAAAALP! I'M BEING CHASED BY A MAD NINGEN WITH A BOOK!!!" WHACK! Shuichi held up the book to hit Kuronue again, and the chimera flinched, and Shuichi paused. "Are you gonna listen now?" WHACK! And Kuronue went tumbling down the stairs.  
"Think of biology next time you think of breaking in here!" Shuichi yelled down the stairs, brandishing the biology book.  
"Nice job, Shuichi," Jeroun said, coming up next to him to observe Kuronue's fall. He could only guess it was Kuronue. The chimera had done a nice job hiding himself in a human form. "I think you've knocked Kanon down the stairs." Shuichi looked from chimera to fire demon for a few moments before he spoke.  
"Kanon?" he said sheepishly. "Ooops. I thought he'd be more . . . demon-like." At the foot of the stairs Kuronue sat up and groaned while holding his head.  
"Usually he is," Jeroun said. "But it seems he's gone into a human form to pay us a visit."  
"I thought you said he was in jail," Shuichi said, looking at Jeroun. The demon flinched. Shuichi was still holding the biology book. Shuichi smiled. Then Kuronue spoke up.  
"I was sent here by Koenma," Kuronue groaned. Shuichi blinked.  
"He said six months," Shuichi said. "It's only been one."  
"Yeah," Kuronue said. Jeroun hoped that Kuronue was as good a liar as he was a screamer. "Koenma said I was to undergo the same test as Jeroun." Shuichi blinked. So did Jeroun.  
"Really?" he asked. Kuronue nodded. "Perhaps I should ask him." Jeroun could see Kuronue was panicking.  
"No! I really don't think that's needed," Kuronue said. "He sent me and then went to . . . bed." Shuichi smiled.  
"All right, later then," he said. By the look in his eyes, Jeroun could tell that Shuichi hadn't bought the story, but he decided to play along with it anyway. "You must be tired . . . " Shuichi started to say, then remembered what had happened. "Oh! Geez, that must have hurt when I hit you with that book. Let me help you." As Shuichi started for the stairs, Kuronue caught Jeroun's eye, smiled, and nodded, and then jerked his head in Shuichi's direction. When Jeroun didn't do anything, Kuronue frowned. Jeroun was puzzled by his friend's odd behavior.  
"Naw, it's okay," Kuronue said as Shuichi helped him up. "Just a little bump to the head never stopped me." Jeroun paused for a second to wonder how true this was, him being a master thief and all. "Head's just a little sore, nothing wrong."  
"Yeah, right," Shuichi said. Jeroun looked down the stairs once more. Kuronue had a large lump about the size of Shuichi's biology book. Shuichi tapped it with his fingertip and Kuronue winced. Jeroun had to keep from smiling. Human form or no, Kuronue looked out of place being prodded and poked by someone who, to most appearances, was a human. (A/N: That made NO sense, did it?) "Perhaps I should get you an ice pack. . . . "  
"Ice pack?" Kuronue asked. Shuichi nodded.  
"Makes the swelling go down and the pain go away," Shuichi said. Kuronue nodded again. Shuichi dissapeared into the kitchen, and Jeroun took this chance to mind-talk with Kuronue.  
::Well,:: Jeroun said. ::At least you didn't get caught at the jail.::  
::Yeah, you're only being a smart-ass because you weren't the one hit with the biology book.:: Kuronue said, gingerly touching the bump on his head.Jeroun wondered how Kuronue knew it was a biology book. (Not important,) he told himself. ::So . . . is there anything I should know about Shuichi?::  
::Some,:: Jeroun said.  
::Like what?:: Kuronue asked.  
::Okay, I never told him your partner was Youko Kurama. Shuichi seems to be afriad of him,:: Jeroun said.  
::I wonder why,:: Kuronue said sarcasticly. ::What else?::  
::And I never told him your real name, or . . . just stiff like that,:: Jeroun said. ::Oh, and according to him, you helped me out by showing me stuff that I needed to know at the jail.::  
::But I did help you out when you were a newbie,:: Kuronue said.  
::Not as much as I lead Shuichi to think,:: Jeroun told him. They had to cut it short just then, because Shuichi came back in with the ice pack.  
"It looks better already," he said before he gently applied the ice pack to Kuronue's head. "But you might as well have this."  
"Ow, ow, ow," Kuronue said as the pack was applied. "Are you sure this helps, Shuichi?"  
"Sure," Shuichi said. "Now hold that to your head. Do you mind sleeping on the couch tonight?" Kuronue blinked.  
"You're taking me in just like that?" he asked Shuichi. Shuichi nodded.  
"Why not?" (Why not indeed,) Kuronue thought bitterly. (Let him know who I am who I was friends with, he'll kick me out!) Shuichi seemed to sense that his guest was uncomfortable. "Well, I think we should all get to bed. Kanon, you can have my bed and I'll sleep on the couch, if you want."  
"Nah, I'll be all right on the couch," Kuronue said.  
"Okay then," Shuichi said. "I'll prepare the guest room tomorrow. And I need to think about how to explain this to my mother." Jeroun smiled at Kuronue, who had a puzzled look on his face once more.  
  
That was nothing compared to what happened next. All three of them were fast asleep, Jeroun in his room, Shuichi in his, and Kuronue on the couch when it happened.  
"OH MY GOD, THERE'S SOMEONE PASSED OUT ON MY LIVING ROOM COUCH!!!" It was Shiori, returning home early from her business trip. Kuronue jumped up, ready to fight, earning him a smack on the head from Shiori's purse. He sat back down, rubbing his head as Shiori prepared herself for another attack. Shuichi dashed out of his room; Jeroun dashed out of his and collided with Shuichi, and both of them, trying to get to the source of the commotion to sort it out, went tumbling down the stairs.  
"Ms. Minamino," Jeroun said thickly, through a mouthful of Shuichi's hair. "Please. It's not what it looks like. . . . "  
"Take that!" Shiori yelled as she hit Kuronue with her purse again. "And that!"  
::JEROUN!! HELP!!!: Kuronue mind-yelled loudly enough that Shuichi could hear it. ::PLEASE!!:: Shuichi and Jeroun, who had finally grasped what had happened, began to laugh loudly.  
"Geez, Kanon," Jeroun said through a fit of laughter. "You must be pretty scary. I wasn't hit when I came in!"  
"And at least it's not as heavy as my biology book," Shuichi gasped. Shiori paused in the beating of Kuronue's head to look at the three of them.  
"Shuichi, Jeroun," she started. "You know him?" Shiori emphasized that Kuronue was "him" by giving him yet another whack on the head with her purse. Shuichi and Jeroun did not know where to start. Shuichi opened his mouth first.  
"He's . . . " Shuichi started.  
"My brother," Jeroun finished. Kuronue, Shiori, and Shuichi all stared at him, although Kuronue and Shuichi tried to act as though this was not news to them. Shiori instantly went from her "I'm-a-mother-protecting- my-house-and-son" mode to her "Oh-my-god-I-hit-another-one-of-Shuichi's- strange-friends" mode (A/N: Can you guess who the other "strange friends" are? *coughcoughHieicough.* Sorry.)  
"I'm sorry! I didn't know you and Jeroun were related," Shiori said. "I hate to say it, but you two really don't look a thing alike. . . . "  
"I wouldn't think we would," Kuronue said, gently prodding several fresh bumps on his head. "We're stepbrothers, really." Jeroun gaped. (I know Kuronue was a master theif, but the way he said that lie reminds me of when I first came here, and how Shuichi looked when he lied. . . . Creepy. I'm thinking too much,) Jeroun thought.  
"I am so sorry! You must not have a place to stay either," Shiori said. "You can stay here for as long as you need to."  
"It'll only be a couple of months," Kuronue said with a quick, nervous glance at Shuichi. "Really, I've almost saved up enough money for an apartment, and as soon as I get it . . . "  
"I'm gonna move in with him," Jeroun said, trying to play the excited- little-brother part. Shuichi said nothing. They all thought that was for the best.  
"Well, Shuichi will just have to give up his bed for awhile," Shiori said. "To make you as comfortable as possible."  
"I can sleep on the couch," Kuronue said.  
"And there's another bed in my room," Jeroun offered. Shuichi smiled. This was going to be a long couple of months.   
  
Wheeee! I had FUN writing this! I loved hitting Kuronue on the head for some strange, unknown reason . . . .  
  
Kuronue: You're a sadist.  
  
Nagem: Maybe I am.  
  
Kuronue: HALP!!!  
  
Nagem: Please review!!! 


	7. The deal

Thanks to all those people who reviewed for me. It makes me happy!! Okay, here's chappy seven!! Wow, this one is my longest fic so far, I think.  
  
Disclaimer: I've said it too many times for my liking. I don't own ANYTHING!! NOT A SINGLE THING!! WAAAHHH!!! *goes off to cry in her corner*  
  
  
  
("Yusuke?"  
"Hai, Shuichi?"  
"There's another one."  
"Another what?  
"There's another demon here who claims he's taking the same test as Jeroun. But there's something not right about him."  
"Really?"  
"Hai. I could tell that he was not truthful when he told me so. And there's something oddly familiar about him."  
"Really? Could he be someone you knew when you were . . . "  
"I don't know. There is one thing, though.  
"Nani?"  
"His name is NOT Kanon.")  
  
The conversation held two months ago played itself over and over in Kuronue's head. He had heard it when Yusuke came over that night to tell Shuichi that Koenma had given him another case, and Shuichi had asked about Kuronue. So, Shuichi knew that Kuronue had not told the truth. Then why did he tolerate the chimera? Kuronue rolled over on the spare guest bed and glanced over at Jeroun, who was sitting on it attempting to read.  
"Jeroun?"  
"Hai, Kanon?"  
"Do you think Shuichi will call Koenma on me?"  
"I bet he will after a while," Jeroun said. "But enjoy your time here. You already know everybody, Shiori treats you as nicely as she treats any of us, save that first morning."  
"Don't remind me," Kuronue said. He winced and rubbed his head, remembering the series of blows delt to it. "Hey, where is Shuichi anyway?"  
  
"There's this ningen thing called 'school', don't you remember me explaining this to you a month ago?" Jeroun asked.  
"Oh, yeah, right," Kuronue said. "I keep forgetting because he's always gone before I get up in the mornings."  
"Right," Jeroun said sarcasticly. "I wonder what Shuichi meant when he said that you were 'oddly familiar to him."  
"I don't know," Kuronue said. In truth, he had been wondering about that himself. "I probably stole something from him when he was a demon or something."  
"It makes it complicated when the 'ningen' we're staying with is really a demon in diguise," Jeroun said.  
"I think that I live to make people's lives complicated," Shuichi said. Both Jeroun and Kuronue jumped. They had not been expecting the boy to hear their conversation. "I only heard that last line," Shuichi said, reading the looks on their faces. Kuronue exhaled his relief, which led Shuichi the wrong way. "What were you planning?"  
"Nothing. Just talking about how familiar you seem to me," Kuronue said. Shuichi said nothing but kept watching the chimera with narrowed eyes. "I can't get this feeling out of my head that I've seen you somewhere before. What do you think?"  
"There is . . . something oddly familiar about you, but I can't place it," Shuichi said. "But . . . you are, excuse me, were, a thief, correct?"  
"Yeah," Kuronue said. But he couldn't help thinking, (Yeah, and as soon as enough time has passed, I'll go straight back to being a thief.)  
"Then perhaps we ran into each other as thieves," Shuichi said. Both demons looked at him skeptically. This was the first time Shuichi had brought up the subject about his past.  
"Yeah, maybe," Kuronue said. "I didn't have much interaction with other thieves. Y-my partner took care of most of that." Jeroun glanced at Kuronue, and was sorely tempted to ask if he had been about to say "Youko Kurama" before he had hastily changed it to "my partner"  
"Really," Shuichi said. Kuronue nodded nervously. "Who was your partner then? May he had somehow been around you enough to pick up some of your aura . . . and then that's why I feel like I know you."  
"He was no one important," Kuronue muttered under his breath. Inside, he couldn't help but scold himself for speaking badly of his friend. Shuichi frowned.  
"Come on, just give me a hint," he pleaded. "I'd know."  
"Nah," Kuronue said. "No one really knew of him." By this time, Kuronue had to keep himself from scowling at Shuichi's ignorance, and Jeroun had taken to using the book as a cover so that he could shake his head in disbelief. Shuichi growled.  
"Fine." And with that, he left the room.  
  
"Sorry about my nosyness before," Shuichi said as he set out the plates so that the three of them could eat dinner-Shiori was, once again, out on a business trip. "I just felt that if I knew more exactly who you were, I'd feel more comfortable around you."  
"It's okay, I know that you think Kanon is not my real name," Kuronue said.  
"You do?"  
"Yeah, and you're right."  
"Then what is your real name?"  
"I'm not telling you yet," Kuronue said teasingly. "Not until you tell your real name."  
"After your test then," Shuichi said. Kuronue nodded.  
"Deal," he said, forgetting that he was not taking the test like Jeroun was. "After I finish out my test."   
  
Sorry about the short chapter. I didn't feel like writing more.  
  
Kuro: Yay! I did not get hit on the head.  
  
Nagem: Not this time.  
  
Kuro: Huh?  
  
Nagem: Next time! Kuronue has to overcome his desire for shiny things while not revealing his true self to "Shuichi". Plus . . . Shuichi has odd dreams about Kuronue, and even odder (is that a word? Oh well. I don't care. You get my meaning) thoughts about Kanon that may lead to the discovery of who he really is!! Get ready for humor and more Kuro-head-hitting!!  
  
Kuro: Oh dear. Someone save me from the baka authoress.  
  
Nagem: *whips out Shuichi's biology book and hits Kuronue on the head with it.*  
  
Kuro: @___@ 


	8. Strange dreams and shiny things

Hey there! Chappy eight!! yay!!  
  
Kuronue: NOOOOO!!! SHE'S GONNA HIT ME ON THE HEAD!!!!  
  
Nagem: O.O; All righty then.  
  
Disclaimer: I don't own Yu Yu Hakusho.  
  
Oh, and this chapter might be just a little confusing at first, okay? Just go with the flow, it'll get better, I promise.   
  
("Heh. They'll never know what hit them." Youko holds up the golden mirror and angles it so that the dim light reflects off of it.  
"This has to be our easiest job yet!!" Kuronue flaps his wings in his excitement. "It was nothing." They suddenly both go very still.  
"Do you hear something?" Youko asks as his ears twitch.  
"No, but I sense something." Kuronue replies. "We'd better get out of here." They both jump off into the bamboo forest. Moments later spears and arrows land where they would have been, and demon guards follow the scent the thieves accidentally left behind.  
  
Youko knows something is wrong, but he cannot place it. He hears a snapping sound and looks down to see Kuronue's pendant flying toward the forest ground. Kuronue turns back. Youko sees the trap before he does.  
"Kuronue! No!" Youko yells. Yes, there's something off here.  
"I need it!!" Kuronue yells back. Youko starts to go after him but stops dead in his tracks after he sees the sharp bamboo poles spear through Kuronue's body. "Kurama . . . ."  
"Kuronue!!!" Youko screams, and begins to go to his friend.  
"Kurama! Get out of here! Forget about me! Just go!!" Youko pauses. Should he? Then he turns around and tries to escape.) (A/N: We all saw this coming. I couldn't help it. I needed it.)  
  
Kurama sat up in bed, gasping for breath. He hadn't had that dream in a long time. Usually, he'd get to the point where the infamous Youko Kurama became the timid Minamino Shuichi. Not this time, though. Did it mean something about Kuronue? Was the chimera trying to tell him something? Not likely. He brought a hand up to his forehead and brought his knees up to his chest. He didn't want to think about Kuronue, it always led to . . . too late. One tear made its way down his cheek, and then another. He thrust his face into his knees and began to cry.  
"I could have saved him . . . " he sobbed. "I should have saved him, but I was too . . . stupid, too . . . selfish . . . Why?"  
"Shuichi?" Kurama looked up. There, in the doorway, was Kanon. Kurama wiped his tears away with his sleeve. (How much did he hear?) Kurama wondered.  
"Kanon," Kurama replied. "Sorry, did I wake you?"  
"No, I was heading back from the bathroom when I heard you crying, and I decided to see what was up," Kanon said.  
"Oh," Kurama said. Thinking about Kuronue, and seeing how well Kanon and Jeroun got along, and everything, it just made Kurama too emotional. "You actually care that much about me?"  
"I try," Kanon said. "But truthfully, I'm afraid to."  
"Go on," Kurama promted.  
"It seems like everyone I ever bother to care about always get taken away from me," Kanon said. "Like my old partner. I would have probably broken out of jail to rejoin him if he hadn't died."  
"Really," Kurama said. He knew better than to ask who Kanon's partner was. The other demon never told him.  
"Yeah. I was planning it when I heard he was killed by a bounty hunter," Kanon said. Even though there were tears in his eyes, Kurama decided not to ask.  
"Do you . . . ever regret his death?" Kurama asked.  
"I know it's not, but I can't help but think that it was my fault," Kanon said. "Did you have a partner when you were a thief?"  
"Yeah. And I always feel the same way," Kurama said. "Although I'm not so sure it wasn't my fault that he died."  
"I'm sorry," Kanon said.  
"Not your . . . fault," Kurama said. "Go back to bed, it's nothing for you to worry about."  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~ *~*~*  
  
When Kuronue got up the next morning, Shuichi smiled more warmly at him then he normally would have. Kuronue smiled back, reminded of the . . . er . . . moment they had shared the night before. Then Kuronue remembered that they were going to do something today.  
"Remind me," Kuronue said over breakfast. "What are we doing today?"  
"Well, in about a week there's this ningen holiday called 'Mother's day' where children go out and buy things for their mothers," Jeroun said. Kuronue wondered how he knew of such things.  
"And we're going out to get my mother a present, because you all owe her anyway," Shuichi said, cleaning up breakfast.  
"We're ALL getting her something?" Kuronue asked. "I don't have any money!!"  
"I'm paying for it," Shuichi said.  
"What are we getting her?" Jeroun asked. He liked Shiori. Kuronue was stiffly polite with her. Couldn't blame him after what she did to him, even if it was an accident.  
"Jewelry," Shuichi said. "Now hang on while I go get my money . . . " (A/N: You'd think he'd keep it with him.) Kuronue, meanwhile, panicked.  
"Jeroun, jewelry is shiny," Kuronue told the other demon. "I like SHINY things." Jeroun knew where he was going with this.  
"I'll keep an eye out for you," Jeroun told the chimera.  
"Promise?"  
"Yeah."  
"Cause if Shuichi tries to call Koenma in on me, I'm screwed."  
"I get the point, Kuronue," Jeroun said. "I will personally make sure that you don't steal anything. If you do, I am probably screwed as well."  
"Ready to go, guys?" Shuichi asked, returning to the kitchen. Both demons hesitated, then nodded.  
  
"Must . . . have . . . shiny," Kuronue said, staring at a pair of diamond earrings.  
"Kuronue!!" Jeroun hissed. He was holding Kuronue back by the arms and hissing threats into the chimera's ear, but it seemed to have no effect. They were earning themselves strange looks from the manager and other customers, and Jeroun couldn't help but praise the fact that Shuichi was in another part of the store.  
"It's . . . shiny," Kuronue said staring at it. Jeroun slapped him across the face. Kuronue blinked and stared at him.  
"Sorry," the chimera said. "I just . . . lose control."  
"No kidding," Jeroun said, rubbing the spot where Kuronue had bit him in an attempt to get away. "That hurt."  
"Sorry, again," Kuronue said.  
"Hey! Find anything?" They both looked over to see Shuichi holding something in his hand and staring at them. Kuronue couldn't help wonder if what Shuichi was holding was shiny.  
"No," Jeroun said.  
"Sorry," Kuronue said for a third time. Shuichi smiled.  
"It's okay," he said. "Just keep looking, okay?"  
"'Kay," Kuronue said.  
"Want me to help?"  
"Sure," Kuronue said. (I'm less likely to steal something if someone I know is watching,) Kuronue thought.  
"Come with me, there's some nice stuff over where I was before," Shuichi said, leading them across the store. Kuronue was fine for several minutes until he saw something else that was VERY shiny. He tried not to look at it, knowing what would happen if he did, but it was no use. His eyes zoomed in on it. He managed to keep his hands away from it, but something happened. Jeroun looked over to see a silver chain holding up a ruby pendant. He blinked. (Oh, shit,) he thought. He glanced over at Shuichi, and decided he would take the chance.  
::Kuronue! Kuronue!:: Jeroun called, praying that Shuichi had not overheard.  
::Shiny . . . :: Kuronue responded. ::Huh??::  
::Your pendant!! The pendant!!:: Jeroun said.  
::My pendant? Oh, shit,:: came Kuronue's reply.  
::My thoughts exactly,:: Jeroun told him. Kuronue tried to hide the pendant, but it was already too late. He felt his wings slowly coming out from his back and that meant that his demon form was coming out. Ducking his head, he ran off, bumping into Shuichi on the way.  
"Huh? Kanon?" Shuichi asked. "What's wrong?"  
"Bathroom," Kuronue muttered, praying once again that Shuichi had not seen his demon form. "Be right back."  
"Okay then," Shuichi said.  
  
In the privacy of one of the bathroom stalls, Kuronue carefully-and slowly-pulled back his wings and managed to hide his pendant. After he had accomplished this much, he felt rather worn-out from the excitement of the sudden change. He put his forehead against one of the walls and leaned against it, breathing deeply as to calm himself. He didn't know why, there was just something about Shuichi that too familiar to trust entirely. He heard footsteps coming into the bathroom and decided that he had better go and find Shuichi to tell him that he was ready to go. He opened the stall door and stepped out, colliding with someone.  
"Sorry," he grunted, keeping his manners about him. There was silence, and Kuronue briefly feared that he was still partially demon when a voice spoke.  
"You're not supposed to be in here!" A shrill voice told him. He looked up to meet brown hair and brown eyes.  
"AAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!"  
  
About an hour later Kuronue sat with Keiko, Yusuke, Kuwabara, Yukina, Hiei, Jeroun, Shizuru and Shuichi in Shuichi's living room. Shuichi had brewed Jeroun a large cup of tea and everyone else had a soda. Truthfully, Kuronue was greatful for the tea, it helped, but he wanted something stronger. At first there was only silence, broken gently by the sounds of people drinking.  
"Honestly, Kanon, the women's bathroom, what is wrong with you?" Shuichi asked. Kuronue looked up to meet his eyes. He had never really noticed the fine shade of green they were, right now holding a mixture of amusement and disgust. And there was something else as well. Kuronue's eyes widened as he recognized that look.  
"You," he managed to croak out. Shuichi, not to mention every person in the room, looked at him. "You're a . . . " Kuronue could not manage to speak his next word.  
"Yes?" Shuichi prompted somewhat nervously.  
"You're a Youko," Kuronue told him.   
  
Dun dun dun!! Kuronue knows Shuichi's a Youko, Kuronue knows Shuichi's a Youko, Kuronue knows Shuichi's a Youko . . . about freaking time!!  
  
Sorry, 'bout that, it's just that I've been waiting and waiting to get to this part. It's been in my mind ever since I started this story.  
  
Kuro: I figured it out! GO ME!!  
  
Nagem: o.O Righty then. Oh, and by the way, I know that my spelling really sucks, but I think I've got most of the words to where you people can tell what they are. If not, just e-mail me and tell me. I think that maybe I should have put this in the first chapter.  
  
Kuro: Yay! So . . . when do I find out who Shuichi really is?  
  
Nagem: You'll see. Hang on, there was no hitting Kuronue on the head this time.  
  
Kuro: ^____^ Yay!  
  
Nagem: Well, just for the fans. *Whips out Shuichi's biology book and hits Kuronue on the head with it.* There we go.  
  
Kuro: @____@  
  
Next time! Kuronue has figured out that Shuichi's a Youko, but can he tell exactly which one? And when Jeroun finds out a long-kept secret, will he keep it to himself? All this and more next time!!  
  
Nagem: *as an afterthought* I should really be in advertisement or something.  
  
Kuro: You just figured this out. *gets hit with Shuichi's biology book* @____@ 


	9. Youko Kurama?

Hello all. How are you. I am fine. Okay, okay, I can already hear you all screaming at me to just get on with the story, so here we go.  
  
Disclaimer: I do not own Yu Yu Hakusho.   
  
Everyone stared at Kuronue. Shuichi looked very unnerved, for his hand was shaking badly enough to where Kuronue was convinced he was going to drop his soda. Jeroun's mouth hung open, and most everyone in the room looked nervous.  
"C-could everyone please leave? I think this is best dealt with between Kanon and I," Shuichi said. Jeroun was surprised he hadn't opened his mouth to be sick, because it was tinged a fine shade of green. Yusuke nodded and herded everyone out of the room. Jeroun looked to Shuichi.  
"You're a Youko?"  
"Y-yes," Shuichi stammered. Kuronue also looked at Shuichi, and in return Shuichi gave Kuronue a puzzled look. "How did you know?"  
"Your eyes. Even though they appear normal to most people, I could see the Youko in them," Kuronue said. "If there's one thing about you foxes, it's that you never lose the look in the eyes."  
"I should have known," Shuichi said, a faint smile suddenly playing on his lips.  
"Hang on," Jeroun said. "Is he THE Youko?" Shuichi went very, very still and Kuronue frowned. "What?"  
"I don't know," Kuronue said. "But . . . he's dead, so Shuichi can only be a different one."  
"Shuichi?"  
"I shall not tell," Shuichi said, completely scared out of his wits by this point. He was starting to regret the fact that he had sent his friends away. Then again, perhaps they would not have felt his urgency to keep his identity a secret. "Koenma did not want you to know, otherwise he would have told you from the start."  
"True," Jeroun said. "Kanon, we'll drop it until Shuichi's ready to tell us, okay?"  
"Fine," Kuronue growled with a glance at Shuichi. Shuichi stiffened and returned the glare. Jeroun seemed to notice this.  
"Hey, Kanon, I was talking to Hiei about some 'sweet snow' something," he said. "You wanna go see if we can find any? Would that be all right, Shuichi?"  
"Fine," Shuichi said. (Anything to get Kanon out of here. He was way too close to finding out who I really am.) Shuichi thought.  
"All right, let's see," Kuronue said, getting up off the couch.  
"Come on! I think I know what container it's in," Jeroun said. When they had left, Shuichi slumped down in his chair and put his hands over his eyes.  
"That was way too close for comfort," he muttered.  
  
Later that night, Kuronue lay on his back in bed, thinking. (I can't get it out of my mind that Shuichi's a Youko,) he thought. In truth, he had only seen the familiar look breifly, just long enough to notice it and realize what it was. The door opened a crack. Jeroun's face peeked in.  
"Kuronue?"  
"Shhh," Kuronue hissed.  
"Doesn't matter, Shuichi's gone out for a while," Jeroun said. "Something about getting out of the house, but he's really trying to keep away from you. You really scared him."  
"I know," Kuronue said. "But after this test of yours is done, we'll get out of here and never see Shuichi again."  
"Yeah," Jeroun said, but he didn't look too happy about it. "But I was kind of growing fond of Shuichi. Can I come in now?"  
"It's your room as well as mine, but sure," Kuronue said, rolling over onto his back. Then he smiled. "At least this discovery takes care of one thing."  
"What?"  
"Why I thought Shuichi was familiar," Kuronue said.  
"It still doesn't explain why he thinks you're familiar," Jeroun said. Then he thought of something. "You don't think that . . . "  
"No," Kuronue said, sitting up. "Youko Kurama's dead. Shuichi . . . he can't really be Youko, he can't." As calm as Kuronue's voice was, Jeroun could see him shaking his head back and forth and squinting his eyes shut to keep tears from falling out of them.  
"But he might . . . " Jeroun said.  
"Did you hear me, baka?" Kuronue demanded, jumping up out of the bed and glaring at Jeroun. "I said that Youko Kurama is dead. There is no way that Shuichi can be Youko Kurama."  
"There's always a chance!" Jeroun said, facing Kuronue. "Didn't you hear the rumors about the Dark Tournament? The ones about Youko?"  
"Shut up, Jeroun, just shut up," Kuronue said, walking towards the door. "Right before the news came that Youko was killed, I felt his energy weaken and go out. That is as good as seeing him die." With that, Kuronue walked out of the room.  
"It was just a thought," Jeroun mumbled weakly. "Just a stupid little thought that might have had some meaning to it. It was nothing serious."  
  
"Where's Kanon?"  
"I got him mad, so he left to go blow off some steam in the woods," Jeroun said. Shuichi looked at him with a questioning look in his eyes, and Jeroun wondered how he could have missed the Youko look in them before. "I said something that I should not have said."  
"Really?"  
"About his old partner, the one that died," Jeroun said. "Has he told you about him?"  
"Nothing much, but I do remember Kanon saying something about him," Shuichi said. "What did you say?"  
"I just thought that . . . it's nothing," Jeroun said. "Really far- fetched."  
"Really?" Shuichi asked, getting a cup out to make himself some tea. "Just how far-fetched was the thought?" This was one of the many times Jeroun spoke before he thought about what he was saying.  
"It was almost as if I were suggesting that you were Youko Kurama!" Jeroun said. There was a very stunned silence. "What? It's not like you are Youko Kurama . . . are you?" Jeroun heard Shuichi's cup shatter as it hit the ground. Jeroun had a feeling he had hit a nerve. "I'm sorry, I think I should have thought that you might not want to be compared with the Youko. . . . " He trailed off as Shuichi came up to him, grabbed him, and began to shake him by the shoulders.  
"How did you know?" Shuichi demanded. "Who told you?"  
"No one," Jeorun said. "It was just a joke."  
"More true than you know." Jeroun finally grasped what Shuichi had been trying to tell him. He looked up at the kitsune with wide eyes.  
"You . . . are . . . Youko Kurama?" Jeroun asked. Shuichi closed his eyes and nodded. "But . . . that means. . . . "  
"I was seriously injured by demon hunter, unable to assume even a human form," Shuichi said. "So I came here and entered a woman's body and was reborn as Shuichi Minamino."  
"Youko . . . Kurama." Jeroun was still in shock. "But . . . you . . . and . . . Shuichi! D-do you ever . . . wonder how Kuronue is?"  
"Kuronue is dead," Shuichi said.  
"Hello, Shuichi," came a quiet, deadly voice. Both Shuichi and Jeroun whipped around to see Kuronue (human form) glaring at Shuichi. (Baaaaaad timing,) Jeroun thought. (Veeeeerry bad timing.) Shuichi narrowed his eyes. (All of this just because Kuronue found out Shuichi's true form. Hang on!!) Jeroun placed himself between the two demons.  
"Hang, there's something that both of you should know!!" he said. Both of them glared at him. "About the other. . . ." He said the magic words.  
"About him? I don't wanna know any more about him!" They both said together. And they both stomped off to their rooms, each taking a different route through the kitchen Jeroun stared lamely after them.  
"I don't know what things are coming to anymore!" he said aloud. "The two most infamous bandits, both thought dead, standing right under the other's nose and no one notices a thing! And what's more! They absolutely HATE each other! I don't know what I'm gonna do." Okay. I'm happy now. Jeroun has figured out who Shuichi/Kurama really is, but can he convince the former partners that the other is alive and "standing right underneath the other's nose" as Jeroun puts it?  
  
Kuro: Wow. I'm kind of slow on the uptake, aren't I?  
  
Nagem: Just a little. ^___^  
  
Kuro: Well, I'm glad . . . when will everything come together?  
  
Nagem: I hope to start that in the next chapter. Erm, to the reviewer Maruken; here's the answer to your question that you asked a few chapters back (Gomen, I haven't been thinking about it lately.) First off, I think that Shuichi is too polite to read someone's mind given the situation that he is in. Second, I had no idea that Shuichi could even read minds O.O. Yeah . . . I'm still a little ignorant to some of the finer details of Yu Yu Hakusho . . . that's probably why I don't own it. 


	10. Revealed at the last minute

All righty then! I figured I'd best get started on this chapter tonight, or I'd never get it done (I'm going out of town this weekend. You do the math)  
  
Kuro: Don't leave me, Nagem!!  
  
Nagem: O.O;; Right. Anyway . . . I think you get the gist. I own everything! *lawyers appear* Ha! You can't make me take it back! *Lawyers pull out guns* Woah . . . isn't that just a little bit harsh?  
  
Lawyers: Ma'am, we shall shoot the computer if you do not dispel your claim to everything immediately.  
  
Nagem: EEEEP! Not the computer! Anything but the computer!! Okay, so I don't own ANYTHING!! *Lawyers disappear* Heh, heh, suckers.  
  
Kuro: They heard that. *Lawyers appear again.* See?  
  
Nagem: NOT THE COMPUTER!! I WAS JUST KIDDING! I SWEAR I WAS JUST KIDDING!! EITHER WAY, HE'S THE THEIF AROUND HERE! *points at Kuronue*  
  
Kuro: Hey!  
  
Lawyers: Sir, you shall go to jail. *Grabs Kuronue.*  
  
Kuro: Nagem! You're the authoress here! Help me!  
  
Nagem: Not today, Kuro, you need to distract them so I can finish the fic.  
  
Kuro: T.T   
  
Jeroun lay in his bed, staring up at the ceiling. It had been weeks since he had found out Shuichi's true form; Youko Kurama. But, still, neither demon would face the other, let alone listen to Jeroun proclaim them long-lost partners. Not that Jeroun hadn't tried. His head still pounded from when Kuronue had "accidentally" hit him on the head when Jeroun had tried to tell Shuichi the truth. All of this was making his head pound. He walked down to the kitchen where Shuichi was sitting at the table writing something on a piece of paper.  
"What's that?" Jeroun asked as he grabbed a snack and sat down.  
"Invitations," Shuichi said. "I thought that because . . . well, your six months is almost up, Jeroun. You'll probably have to return to the Makai soon." Jeroun's heart leapt, and then sunk. He hadn't been thinking about his trial lately, just about making sure the two former-partners found one-another soon. As he stared blankly at the two invitations Shuichi had written out, he remembered when it had all started. He remembered how all he could think of was how hard the six months would be and what he would steal first when they were over. All of that seemed so trivial and stupid now. Was that how Shuichi felt when he tried to go back? And most of all, Shuichi and Kuronue seemed like family, as did the others, when they were around. Heck, Shiori even felt like his own mother sometimes (even though his mother never did care for him as the ningen did).  
"That still doesn't explain the invitations," he said numbly, thinking of when he would have to leave them all.  
"I was thinking of hosting a good-bye party the night before you leave," Shuichi said, looking up from the letters. He noticed the look on Jeroun's face. "Hey, Kanon only has another month to go, and we can all still visit you."  
"Not as often as I would like to see you all," Jeroun mumbled. Shuichi smiled and got up, gently resting his hand on the fire demon's shoulder.  
"Everything's going to be fine," he said. "For now, let's just enjoy the present and not worry about the future. Or live in the past." Shuichi had added the last part as Kanon came in.  
"How would you know about living in the past?" he demanded of Shuichi.  
"I know, because I regret everything I used to be," Shuichi said. "Like I said that one morning, I feel that someone special died because of me."  
"Hang on!" Jeroun said, jumping to his feet, forgetting everything he had just talked about with Shuichi in light of what was going on at the moment. "You didn't . . . "  
"Jeroun," both kitsune and chimera said together. Then they met each other's eyes and smiled briefly before rolling their eyes as if they were saying, "Not this again."  
"But . . . " Jeroun said, before Kuronue walked out of the kitchen and into the back yard while Shuichi gathered up the invatations to finish in his room. "I wish those two would listen to me for once in their lives."  
  
A few days later, everyone lounged in Shuichi's living room while congratulating Jeroun and chatting happily with each other. Even Hiei seemed in a better mood than usual while he watched his sister converse with Botan, Keiko, and Shizuru. Kuronue and Shuichi stood in opposite corners of the room from each other.  
"Hey," Jeroun heard Yusuke say to Shuichi. "When's the toddler coming?"  
"He said he'd be here a little late," Shuichi said. "But he should arrive pretty soon." Jeroun panicked. He pushed his way toward Shuichi and Yusuke. "What is it, Jeroun?"  
"By 'toddler' do you mean Koenma?"  
"Hai," Yusuke said. "Why?"  
"No . . . reason," Jeroun mumbled. Even if Shuichi knew that truthfully, Kuronue was not supposed to be here, and didn't turn him in, Koenma would not be. If they were lucky, Koenma would find out who Kuronue was, order Yusuke to arrest him, Shuichi/Kurama would interfere, and both demons would be arrested. Or, if they weren't lucky, Koenma would learn who Kuronue was, order Yusuke to kill him, only to have Shuichi/Kurama jump in front of the finishing blow, and then Shuichi would be dead, and Kuronue would be killed as well. "Why do things always seem to work out this way?" he asked himself.  
"Things work out what way?" Jeroun had forgotten that Shuichi and Yusuke were right next to him. Shuichi looked at him with puzzled eyes, while Yusuke's face wore a similar expression. Jeroun swallowed hard.  
"Well, I think I need to explain something," Jeroun said, but he was too late.  
"The great and all-mighty Koenma has arrived!!" Mist from dry ice (A/N: I just rewatched the Dark Tournament saga, can you tell? ^__^) flooded the room, while everyone went completely silent. Even Jeroun stared as Koenma made his way into the room, followed by Jorge the blue oni, and (to Jeroun and Kuronue's displeasure) the jailkeeper.  
"Great," came Hiei's voice. It sounded like his good mood was gone, Jeroun dully noted as he watched the jailkeeper. Out of the corner of his eye, Jeroun saw Kuronue move slightly deeper into the shadows, while Shuichi narrowed his eyes. (Wondering why the jailkeeper is here,) Jeroun thought. Indeed, everyone was staring at the overlarge oni. It started then, with one simple move. Yusuke moved toward Koenma, opening his mouth.  
"Hey, did you happen to send another demon here to take the test that Jeroun did?" Yusuke asked. Jeroun knew he was reffering to Kuronue, but kept his mouth shut. Koenma looked around.  
"No . . . but there was a jailbreak about five months ago," Koenma said. "We can't find the escapee anywhere in the Spirit World, and we don't even know who it was."  
"Shit," Jeroun mumbled to himself. Shuichi eyed him with a questioning look, and Jeroun nodded, knowing already what the question was.  
  
::We will have to arrest him, you know,:: Shuichi mind-spoke to Jeroun.  
::You can't cause . . . :: Jeroun was cut off by Yusuke. (A/N: I love to do this type of thing. Sorry if I'm driving you all nuts)  
"Kanon? Would that happen to be you?"  
"There was no Kanon at the jail," the jailkeeper stated lamely.  
"Because Kanon is not my real name," Kuronue said smoothly. Shuichi frowned. There was something familiar about the way this guy spoke when under pressure. "So, yes. I was the one who broke out of jail, and fooled your dear Youko, Shuichi, you call him, into keeping me here."  
"Shuichi? Is this true?" Shuichi instantly pulled a pleading look into his eyes.  
"I didn't know," he said. Jeorun scowled at how easily he could lie like that. Then he reminded himself the "ningen" boy in front of him was really Youko Kurama. Dang, it was hard to get used to that. "I honestly didn't know, otherwise I would have caught him."  
"You'll never catch me!" Kuronue yelled, throwing a powder into the air that popped and sparkled, making smoke that blinded everyone. Jeroun tried to move out of it, and he heard Shuichi hacking away. It sounded like he inhaled more of the smoke than he wanted to.  
"Koenma-sama!!" That was Botan, crying out as they felt the air shift as Kuronue shifted into his demon form.  
"Get him!"  
"I can't see him!" Hiei, Shuichi, and Kuwabara yelled together. Still, he felt Shuichi start to move toward his prey. (Shiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiit,) Jeroun thought.  
"I can! You guys, just follow his ki!"  
"We are!" The three yelled back. Just then, Jeroun "saw" the dim outline of Kuronue jump away from the scene of the oncoming battle.  
"Dammit, he moved!" Yusuke yelled. "Who are you?"  
"Not that you need to remember," Kuronue said. Jeroun tensed. "But my name is Kuronue!!" Jeroun felt Shuichi do the three-second freeze next to him. He could hear the kitsune trying to sound out his partner's name in a raspy breath. The smoke cleared, and Shuichi looked around wildly, with eyes that looked like a caught foxes', looking for Kuronue, but the chimera was already gone. His eyes met Jeroun's, and Jeroun saw the fear in them.  
"No," Shuichi whispered. "This wasn't supposed to happen." CLIFFIE!! OH YEAH! I'M MEAN!!!  
  
Sorry for the short chapter, but I really wanted to finish and I only had five minutes, so you get the point. Anyway, even though I appreciate the sympathy I got in the reviews concerning my limited knowledge of Yu Yu Hakusho, it makes me feel slightly unimportant. And I "thank" Karasu8 for that interesting detail about Kurama and Kuronue. I don't think I needed to know that, because, like I said, this story shall have no yaoi. Anyway, I'm sorry, but I won't be able to update for a while. I hate it too. But don't stop reading or anything like that! I swear, I'll post AS SOON AS I CAN!! I PROMISE!! Kay?  
  
-Nagem 


	11. Searching

Hey. Sorry about the long delay. I got caught up in another one of my fics. Okay then. I think that we should get started on this!!  
  
Kuro: Coughcoughdisclaimercoughcough.  
  
Nagem: Aw, do I have to?  
  
Kuro: Yeah.  
  
Nagem: Fine, I don't own . . . NOTHING!! Ahem, scuze me, I don't own anything.   
  
"No," Shuichi whispered. "This wasn't supposed to happen."  
Jeroun pitied Shuichi. It wasn't everyday that someone you used to know and trust with everything threatened you and your friends. Jeroun reached over to Shuichi, putting his hand on the youko's shoulder.  
"I'm sorry," Jeorun whispered to Shuichi. "I should have told you sooner."  
"It wasn't you," Shuichi said. "I was too foolish to listen when you needed to talk." Jeroun had to admit (but wouldn't say it aloud) that Shuichi was correct in that matter. "What puzzles me is that I couldn't feel his energy and know it was him."  
"He masked it," Jeroun said. "He didn't want anyone to know he was alive until he was strong enough to make a good comeback." Shuichi smiled.  
"He was always good at masking his energy," he said fondly, remembering. Then their attention was caught by everyone else who was recovering from Kuronue's attack.  
"Geez," Yusuke said. "That guy knows how to make an escape. I can't even feel his ki anymore." Kuwabara blinked, having run over to "protect" Yukina and the other girls, earning himself a good whack on the head when he ran straight into Shizuru. Even Hiei was up on his feet, ready to draw his katana and fight with the others. Koenma, Jorge, and the jailkeeper all stared at where Kuronue had been just a few moments ago.  
"Yusuke," Shuichi began, but Koenma interrupted him.  
"Yusuke, Kuwabara, Hiei, Ku-Shuichi," he said. "I want you to go and arrest that demon! I want him dead or alive!"  
"But why so harsh penalties?"  
"He broke out of jail, Yusuke!" Botan shrieked. Jeroun wondered why no one was mentioning Kuronue's past with Youko Kurama. Probably because they didn't want to draw attention to Shuichi, who was currently trying to get a word in with Botan's shrieks, Koenma's rantings, and Yusuke's questions.  
"He was good for the five months that he was here," Yusuke said. "Do you remember the time he helped us search for information on a demon we were after?"  
"Yusuke, you heard Botan, he broke out of jail! There's no higher felon than that, save for murder!!" Koenma looked pleadingly at Yusuke, then gathered himself. "I want him dead or alive by tomorrow morning, or you're all going to be very displeased at where you find yourselves." (A/N: yeah, I know, it doesn't sound too good, but it was all I could think of!) With that, Koenma, Botan, Jorge, and the jailkeeper oni left. Everyone was silent until Keiko coughed and cleared her throat.  
"Yusuke, if you have to catch this guy by tomorrow morning, then we should leave and let you guys get to work," Keiko said. Yusuke nodded, and one by one the girls filed out the door until only Yusuke, Kuwabara, Hiei, Shuichi, and Jeroun were left.  
"Jeroun, if you want to stay here, I know you guys were friends," Yusuke began. Jeroun shook his head firmly thinking, (Shuichi was closer to him than I was, and if he can bear hunting Kuronue, than so can I.) Shuichi swallowed hard.  
"We should split up to find him," Shuichi said. "It would let us cover more ground."  
"Okay then," Yusuke said. "Kuwabara and Hiei, you guys come with me. Jeroun, Shuichi, you two work together."  
"Why do I have to be with the baka?" Hiei asked.  
"Because it'll take both you and me to make sure he doesn't mess up," Yusuke said.  
"Urameshi!"  
"Only telling the truth, Kuwabara."  
"Fine, but he'd better not do anything stupid," Hiei said as the five walked outside. Jeroun saw Shuichi breifly sniff at the air before turning to his teammates.  
"You guys go that way," he said, pointing to the lighted city. "And we'll go in this direction." He pointed the other way, to the darker, more suburban part of town.  
"All right then," Yusuke said. "You know what to do if you find him." Shuichi nodded, and both teams went off in their separate directions.  
  
Half an hour later, both teams were getting nowhere. Jeroun made this quite clear to Shuichi with his constant complaints.  
"Shuichi," he began.  
"Call me Kurama," his redheaded partner told him.  
"Okay then, Kurama. I can't feel Kuronue's energy anywhere, and we haven't heard anything from the others yet," Jeroun said. "Can we turn back now?"  
"Not yet," Kurama (A/N: I finally get to call him Kurama!! Yay! ^___^) said. "I know he went this way. It's just a matter of time before we find him."  
"Then why did you want to go this way," Jeroun said. "I would think that you wouldn't want to fight someone who used to be close to you."  
"Usually I wouldn't," Kurama told him. "But if I left him to fight Yusuke, Kuwabara and Hiei, then he would die. I don't want him to die when I can prevent it." Jeroun thought about the other time he had thought Kuronue was dead. Yeah, he didn't know too much about it, but hey, from the stories that he had heard, he could guess what it was like. "Here." Kurama stopped running. Jeroun crashed into his back. Suddenly they could both feel Kuronue's energy.  
"That's him," Jeroun said. "He's in that thing you call a park. But I can't tell exactly where he is."  
"There's two parts of the park," Kurama said. "You go check out one, and I'll search the other." Jeroun nodded, and they both, upon entering the park, ran off in separate directions. Kurama knew this might not be the best idea, but this was the only way they could find Kuronue before he tried to make an escape to the Makai. Thinking about this, Kurama pushed himself and ran faster. To anyone who might have seen him, all he was was a blood-red blur. After about ten minutes of nothing but worrying and running at the same time, he could see the outline of Kuronue in the trees. The chimera sensed him and turned.  
"Shuichi," he said.  
"Ku-ro-nue," Kurama panted in return. (A/N: That really didn't sound right now that I think about it. REMEMBER! NON-YAOI!!) "Please . . . you have to . . . listen to me. It's for your own good."  
"Like how you lied about how you didn't know that I was the runaway?" Kuronue questioned. He pulled out a throwing blade (A/N: You know, like the imposter does in the movie. Could someone tell me what those are called??) and waved it around threateningly.  
"That was before I knew who you were," Kurama said. "Please, just come in quietly with me and I'll try to make it so that you're not killed."  
"You have to fight me and win if you want me to come in with you, Shuichi," Kuronue said. "How about we fight using special terms?"  
"What?"  
"We each use our weapon of choice, but the weapons are coated with a poison-" Kuronue pulled out a small vile "-that kills you within an hour of entering your system. Therefore, the first person to draw blood is the winner, and the loser dies within the hour."  
"No," Kurama said. "I won't kill you."  
"If you were to bring me in then you would anyway," Kuronue stated. He had a point, Kurama had to admit. But he didn't have time to think about that. "Fight!" Kuronue threw the blade at his former partner, and cut Kurama's arm as he blocked the blow. Blood spurted from the wound, and Kuronue grinned. But something was wrong. Kurama's body was reacting immediately to the poison. Frightened, Kuronue tackled Kurama, knocking the subdued youko into the bushes. "Shuichi, what's going on? It's supposed to take an hour!"  
"Ku-ro-nue." With each syllable, the voice got deeper. Scared out of his wits, Kuronue reached in and pulled Kurama out of the bushes. No matter what happened, the chimera had grown to like the kitsune, and had actually planned on giving him the antidote. But, if Kurama died before Kuronue could find it. . . .  
"Shuichi," Kuronue begged. "Please, I didn't really want you to die."  
  
"Kuronue." The voice was firm, hard, and waaaaaay to familiar. Startled, Kuronue looked his captive in the eye. There was one thing different about Kurama's eyes this time.  
They were a brilliant gold. Fun! 'Nother cliffie, sorry, but I promise that this'll be the next story I update. Depending on what happens, it might be tomorrow or Thursday (today's Tuesday) But I can't guarantee anything yet. Really! I am sorry! I just want to get on the internet and post this before I go to bed . . . and it's kinda late. And I'm really tired. Damn alarm clock.  
  
Kuro: Nagem, you're ranting again. Do you know you do this in your sleep?  
  
Nagem: *blushes* I do not! And how would you know?  
  
Kuro: Well . . . I . . . uh . . . Please review!  
  
Nagem: Kuronue . . . 


	12. A Time to Live and A Time to Die

Hello all! Here's chappy twelve!!  
  
This is my longest fic. Wow. Oh, and I'm sorry about any mistakes in my last chapter, like I said, I was tired.  
  
Disclaimer: I think we've heard it enough to repeat it in our sleep if asked, "I don't own Yu Yu Hakusho."  
  
Kuronue: *asleep* I don't own Yu Yu Hakusho. *snore*  
  
Nagem: See?   
  
Kuronue flung the hand he was holding away from him, startled by the change of eye color. Everything was getting all too weird. The figure stumbled away from him and hit its back against a tree. Kuronue swallowed hard.  
"W-who are you?!" he demanded. "What have you done with Shuichi?"  
"I am Shuichi," the figure replied, stepping out of the shadows closer to Kuronue. The chimera's eyes widened as he saw who it was. "As I am also Youko Kurama."  
"K-Kurama?" Kuronue asked. (No,) he thought. (This can't be possible. . . . ) "All the stories said you were dead. Sure, I heard rumors, but . . . when have I ever trusted rumors?"  
"True," Kurama said, his ears flicking back and forth with amusement. His tail began to wag, not threateningly, but happily. "Aren't you happy to see me again?"  
"You . . . you hid from me," Kuronue accused, his mind still concentrating on the fact that Kurama was alive.  
"Only because I had to," Kurama said. "Koenma would not let me tell my true name to Jeroun, much less to someone who broke out of jail." Kuronue snorted.  
"You would have done the same," he said.  
"Yes, I would have, before I came to the Ningenkai," Kurama said. "I've changed Kuronue. I'm no longer the heartless thief you used to know. I can care for people, I can even love people."  
"You cared for me," Kuronue said. "You loved me." Kurama's ears drooped slightly. He frowned. This was getting complicated.  
"Yes, but Kuronue, that was different from what I have now," Kurama said.  
"How so?"  
"You were the only thing I had to hold onto, then, Kuronue," Kurama said. "Now I have everything that I couldn't have in the Makai."  
"And that's a reason to betray me?"  
"I never said I was going to betray you, Kuronue," Kurama said. "I was just saying that if you came with me quietly, then I could possibly save you from the death sentence, maybe even get you out of jail permanently. You've certainly proved that you can live without it." Kuronue pulled out a scythe, but not the one with the poison on it. (A/N: Thank-you for the name, everyone!)  
"Liar!!" he cried, flinging it at Kurama. Perhaps this was all a dream, it would all go away if he could just kill this specter from his past. But Kurama jumped out of the way. The scythe came back to Kuronue as clean as when he had thrown it.  
"I am no longer a liar, Kuronue," Kurama said, landing next to his friend. "Please. . . . "  
"Get away!!" Kuronue threw the blade again. Kurama managed to move, but because he was so close, his arm was caught.  
"Ah!" he yelled.  
"Kurama!" They turned to see Yusuke and Kuwabara, along with Jorge and the jailkeeper. Unfortunately, they had only seen the part where Kuronue had hit Kurama.  
"You!" Kuronue growled.  
"Yusuke! Kuwabara! What are you doing here?"  
"Kuwabara felt you shift into your demon form, so we decided to check it out. Good thing, too," Yusuke added as Kuronue pulled his now-bloody scythe into a throwing position. "He looks rough. We'll take it from here, Kurama."  
"What do you mean?"  
"Get ready to die, punk!"  
"Kuwabara, don't! Please, Yusuke, let me handle this," Kurama said, a hopeless tone entered his voice as he pleaded for his friend's life.  
"You're wounded, Kurama."  
"Urameshi!" All eyes went to Kuwabara. He was holding his arm, hand cupped over a deep wound that was spurting out blood.  
"Kuwabara! Can you still fight?"  
"I dunno, Urameshi," Kuwabara said. "He hit me pretty hard."  
"Kuronue!"  
"Stay out of this, Youko," Kuronue growled. "What happens to me is none of your concern anymore."  
"Kuronue," Kurama said sadly. "Why do you choose to push me out of your life so suddenly?"  
"Kurama, you should go get Botan and Koenma," Yusuke said. Kurama hung his head. "Leave the fight to us."  
"All right," Kurama said sadly. A/N: Hah, fooled you. You all thought I would stop the chapter here. I'm not gonna!   
  
When Kurama found Jeroun nearly ten minutes later, he was still in his Youko form and was still brooding over the fact that Kuronue, of all people, had pushed him out of their life upon learning his true form.  
"Kurama?!?"  
"Huh? Oh, yeah, it's me. Gomen, Jeroun," Kurama said. He had not thought about Jeroun's reaction when the other demon found out his true form. "Let's go to the spirit world and tell Koenma and Botan that we've found and subdued the escapee."  
"Kuronue?"  
"Don't say that name!" Kurama said. "The escapee will be ready for his arrest shortly. Yusuke is fighting him as we speak."  
"Why aren't you helping him?"  
"He has chosen to not let me help him," Kurama said. "What happens to him is none of my concern anymore."  
"Well, Kurama, the thing is that Koenma just told me he gave the order for Yusuke to kill the 'escapee'," Jeroun said.  
"What happens to him is none of my concern anymore," Kurama said. Even though his voice remained calm and collected, Jeroun could see the pain and hurt in the Youko's usually emotionless golden eyes.  
"Fine," Jeroun said. "If you can betray your old partner just like that, then fine." Through the pity, Jeroun felt a strong serge of hatred for someone who could just drop an old friend so easily.  
"It was not my choice to abandon him," Kurama said, almost losing control of his voice. Jeroun glared at him.  
"Then whose was it?"  
"His," Kurama said. "He told me to stay out of this. He told me whatever happened to him was none of my concern anymore. Out of respect for him, I listened to his wish."  
"You told me he'd be killed!" Jeroun nearly screamed.  
"So be it then."  
"You can't just leave him!" Jeroun said. "He'd risk his life for you- hell-he DID risk his life for you, and this is how you repay him? By leaving him when he needs you, denied or not?" Kurama stopped. Perhaps Jeroun was right. Just then, he heard something.  
"Someone! Please, anyone! Help me!" The chimera's scream echoed in the wooded area around them. "Please! Anyone! Tell him I'm sorry! I was stupid! Gods, I'm so sorry! Please, someone's gotta tell him that!!" Two tears leaked out of Kurama's eyes. This was Kuronue, the one he had shared his plunders with, the one who stayed with him no matter what he did, who even did a lot of it with him. This was Kuronue, and he was Youko Kurama, changed or not, and old partners did not leave each other to die, even when it might cost them their life.  
"Are you going to let the past haunt you?" This rang in Kurama's ears as he ran for the clearing he had just left, praying that he wasn't too late.  
  
When Kurama arrived at the clearing, it was a sight to behold. Kuronue was bracing himself against a tree, his wings and face covered in blood, but that was no matter, the wounds would heal in less than an hour. Kuwabara watched from the base of the tree where he sat, sporting several wounds from Kuronue's scythes. The most important thing to Kurama was not Kuwabara, it wasn't even Kuronue. It was Yusuke. The Reikai Tantei held his hands in front of him, poised and ready to fire the Rei Gun, a shot that would end Kuronue's life if it made contact.  
"Who do you want to tell sorry to?" Yusuke asked.  
"No one," Kuronue said. "It's too late now."  
"All right then."  
"Shoot 'im, Urameshi! Show 'im he can't mess with us and not pay the price for it!!" Kurama froze. (It's not Kuronue's fault,) he thought. (It's mine. I could have prevented this if I hadn't been so blind and so stupid!)  
  
"SPIRIT-" Yusuke began.  
"NO!! YUSUKE, DON'T!! PLEASE, JUST GIVE HIM A CHANCE!!!" Kurama screamed as his friend walked to meet the shot.  
"GUN!!!"  
"Good-bye, Youko Kurama," Kuronue whispered, although Kurama heard every word as if Kuronue was screaming it in his ears. "You were a good friend, and this is all my fault. If there's one thing I could say to you, it's that I'm sorry." Kurama screamed again and flung himself into the clearing, pushing Kuronue out of the way. A split second later, he felt the Rei Gun tear into his skin. Kurama screamed as it tore through him.  
"Shit!!" came Yusuke's immediate cry.  
"No!" came Kuwabara's voice.  
"Kurama!!!" Kuronue caught him as he fell and held the youko's face up to where he could see it. "Why, Kurama?"  
"Partners . . . don't ever . . . let each other down. Much less friends," Kurama muttered. "And don't be sorry, it's my fault. G-good-bye." Kurama's head fell back and his hair went red as he turned back into Shuichi. Kuronue shook the kitsune.  
"Kurama?" he said softly. "KURAMA!!!" He buried his head into his friend's chest and began to cry.   
  
Sorry if this chapter is too short. I had to stop after this. I can't take it. This is hard for me to write, and I'm sorry if this isn't how you wanted it to end. Really, I am. And thank you for the 100 reviews that I've gotten. They make me happy, and it makes me sad that I had to do this. Please review once more and tell me how you liked this. You can yell at me for what happened to Kurama. Heck, I'm the author and I feel bad about it.  
  
Good-bye, minna-san.  
  
-Nagem. 


	13. Do not cry for me

Hey. HAH!! I FOOLED YOU ALL! THERE IS ANOTHER CHAPTER!!  
  
This might be the last one, I dunno. Depends on what happens.  
  
But there will be a sequel concerning Hiei and Yukina, inspired by Jeroun's slip of the tongue (for those of you who can't remember, it was when Jeroun first met Hiei and Yukina, and almost asked if they were siblings because they looked alike) in chappy four.  
  
Hiei: Hang on, what's this "sequal" about?  
  
Nagem: Ah . . . erm, nothing . . . .  
  
Hiei: YOU'RE GONNA TELL YUKINA!!  
  
Nagem: I never said I would. . . .  
  
Kuro: But you never said you wouldn't.  
  
Nagem: Kuro, hush!!  
  
Hiei: You are gonna die, authoress.  
  
Nagem: Uhhhh, on with the show!! *Runs away from Hiei*  
  
Kuro: Nagem does not own Yu Yu Hakusho or anything else that appears in this fic.  
  
Hiei: You're not getting away either! You're in this together!! *Kuro runs away, being chased by Hiei*   
  
The front door was locked. Kuronue debating breaking in, but it wasn't worth it. All he did was sit on the front step, his head in his hands, blinking back tears as he thought about Kurama. The kitsune had given his life just so that Kuronue could live. Kuronue had then been set free, mainly because Koenma was upset about Kurama, and because, like Kurama said, he had proved that he could manage a life without stealing. Jeroun, of course, was set free, as he had completed his test, and had gone back to the Makai. He urged Kuronue to come with him, but Kuronue had declined, saying that he had some distant family to visit. Even though the fire demon hadn't believed him, Jeroun did not press on the subject. All Kuronue could do was grieve for Kurama. The scene replayed itself in his brain.  
  
~*~*~*~*Flashback*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
"Kurama, you baka," Kuronue sobbed into Kurama's shirt. "Baka kitsune, baka baka baka. Gods, this can't be happening. Gods, please say this isn't happening." Yusuke and Kuwabara approached them.  
"Kuronue, I'm so sorry," Yusuke said. "This is all my fault. Gods, I shot Kurama."  
"You two were partners?" Kuwabara asked. Jeroun walked onto the scene. He already knew what had happened. He had seen it in his mind's eye while he was running.  
"H-hai," Kuronue mumbled. "We were until I was wounded and caught. Then he was said to be killed."  
"I shot Kurama," Yusuke said numbly. It was then that Hiei came into the picture.  
"What's going on here?" he asked, walking over to the group of them. "KURAMA!! What did you do to Kurama?!?!" Hiei dropped to his knees and observed the hole in his friend's stomach. His eyes widened, and he looked at Yusuke. "No. . . . "  
"I shot him," Yusuke said.  
"Well why in the three worlds did you do that?" Hiei demanded  
"I didn't mean to," Yusuke said. "He-he jumped in front of Kuronue when I tried to shoot Kuronue."  
"Baka," Hiei said, staring down at his friend's body. "Baka." Hiei closed his eyes, hoping to blink back tears. He couldn't let the others see him cry.  
"Yusuke! What's going on?" Koenma walked onto the scene. He stopped dead when he saw Kurama. "What happened?"  
"I-I shot him," Yusuke said for the fourth time. Of all the things Koenma had been expecting, this was not one of them.  
"Yusuke. . . . " he said. "Why?"  
"I-" Yusuke began, but was cut off by Kuronue.  
"It was m-my fault, K-Koenma-sama," he stuttered, from both fear and grief. "Yusuke was to shoot m-me, b-but K-Kurama. . . . He-he jumped in front of m-me, and t-took the b-b-bullet to the s-s-stomach. T-then he t- told me th-that old partners, they didn't let each other down, and th-then h-h-he . . . died. "  
"Gods," Koenma said. "But I'm sure Botan will see that he has a safe journey to the Spirit World. As for you. . . . "  
"Arrest me," Kuronue mumbled. "I deserve it. I as good as killed Kurama."  
"You didn't," Koenma said. "And neither did Yusuke. But I came here to deal with different matters. Jeroun, you are free, because you went six months without stealing. You can either go back to the Makai, or stay here."  
"I dunno," Jeroun said. "But what about Kuronue?"  
"Because of everything that has happened," Koenma said. "And the fact that he didn't commit any crimes for five months, he's free." Everyone looked at Koenma.  
"Are you sure?" Kuronue asked. "I'm a deadly criminal. There has to be a bounty on my head the size of . . . of . . . I dunno, but it's really big!!"  
"Kurama had one too," Koenma said. "But I let him go." Kuronue gaped at him. "You are free to do as you please." Koenma then left the clearing. *~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*End of flashback*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
They had eventually gotten Kuronue to let go of Kurama's body, then had dragged him, kicking and screaming for his lost partner, out of the clearing they had been in. He didn't know what had become of the fox's body. Hiei had seemed to be unfazed after the initial shock, but Kuronue had seen him in the tree outside of Kurama's room, silently crying. Kuronue had resisted the urge to collect the tear gems that fell to the ground. Just then, he felt a hand on his shoulder. He jumped, and looked up to see Jeroun standing there, human form, with a sad smile on his face. Kuronue tried to wipe the tears away before Jeroun saw him, but the youkai shook his head.  
"I know how you feel," Jeroun said. "Even in the short time I knew him, he was like a brother to me." Good thing Kuronue was in his human form, otherwise he would have already gotten some very odd looks.  
"What are you doing back here?" Kuronue mumbled, not wanting to talk about the kitsune.  
"I remembered that Kurama's ningen mother, Shiori, was coming home from her business trip today," he said. Kuronue sat up straight. "And I thought it might be easier to break the news to her if both of us were here." As if on cue, a car pulled up in front of the house, and Shiori stepped out, a bright smile on her face. Kuronue hated to break her good mood, but there was news to tell.  
"Jeroun! Kanon! What are you two doing here outside? Go in, go in," she said. Then she caught the looks on their faces. "Why aren't you two happy? Is there something wrong?" Kuronue stood up, swallowing to remove the lump in his throat.  
"First off, I want you to call me by my real name," Kuronue said.  
"Then what is it?"  
"Kuronue. Pretty. What's the next thing?"  
"K-Shuichi . . . isn't with us anymore," Kuronue mumbled. Shiori froze, her smile plastered on her face in confusion.  
"What?"  
"He died a few days ago in a freak car incident," Jeroun said, putting his head down. "It hit us all really hard."  
::Why aren't you telling the truth?:: Kuronue mind-asked Jeroun.  
::She just lost who she thought was her son! Do you want me to break her even more by telling her Kurama wasn't really her son?::  
::I guess not, but we'll have to tell her soon,:: Kuronue said.  
::Agreed.::  
"N-no," Shiori said. "It can't be true."  
"We're sorry, Ms. Minamino, but he's gone," Kuronue said. "The doctors at the hospital did everything they could save him, but he had lost too much blood-" He would have said more, but Shiori broke down, flinging her arms around Kuronue and sobbing into his shoulder.  
"He's gone, my Shuichi is gone," she sobbed. "What did I do wrong?"  
"Nothing, nothing," Jeroun said, moving forward half to comfort the woman, half because Kuronue was almost as bad as she was.  
"My baby . . . my poor little baby," Shiori cried. "Where did he go?"  
"I wish we knew," Kuronue muttered. "I really wish we knew."  
  
A few hours and several cups of tea later, Shiori's tears had stopped. And, against Kuronue's and Jeroun's wishes, she had gone out alone into the forest. As she walked through the trees, she thought about Kurama. She remembered when he was younger, and had no friends, and then when she had gotten sick, and spent all his time with her, urging her to get better. Then, right after she had gotten well, had those strange friends of his. And now this. His future, his life. Everything was over. Shiori leaned against one of the trees, fresh tears coming down her face.  
"Shuichi . . . " she muttered. "Why? What have we done wrong to deserve this?" She fell to her knees and buried her head in her hands. "SHUICHI!!!"  
  
Jeroun and Kuronue heard her shout. Kuronue made a move to make sure she was all right, but Jeroun stopped him.  
"She needs to deal with this her own way," he said. Kuronue grudgingly agreed.  
  
She was had her back pressed against a tree, not caring what she was doing. She then heard footsteps. (Jeroun?) she wondered. (Kuronue?) She ignored the footsteps. If they were polite, they would leave her to grieve in peace.  
"Hold back your tears," a raspy voice whispered. "Do not cry for me." Shiori shrieked. She reached out to the figure that was standing in front of her. Hmmm . . . should this be the last chapter, or should I continue it? Your choice. Please reveiw!! 


	14. Stumbling Warrior Fallen Hero

Okay. No one asked me to stop the story last chapter. Heck, a few people even called it a cliffie. Either way, this is chappy 14 of A Chance Reunion.  
  
Kuronue: tell them about- *Nagem claps a hand over his mouth*  
  
Nagem: Hush! All shall be revealed in this chapter.  
  
Kuro: Really?  
  
Nagem: Yep!!  
  
Disclaimer: BWAHAHAHAHAH!!! You think I own Yu Yu Hakusho? HAHAHAHAHAH!! That's funny!!   
  
The figure had a slow walk, limping, almost as if it were wounded. It clutched at its stomach, and blood dripped steadily from its hand. Another cut on his arm had long since dried, and was forming a scab over the open wound. The figure knew he had to clean it soon, or face a burning infection. His long hair was matted with sweat and his clothes were damp in various places. He groaned as he took another step, hoping to find something that would lead him out of the forest and find his friends.  
  
Kurama anticipated the shriek even before he heard it.  
"SHUICHI!!" the voice cried. It was Shiori. He slowly made his way to the source of her voice. He was being louder than he wished to be, shuffling through the leaves and walking heavily because of fatigue and the wound in his stomach. He knew his mother heard him, but she made no move to come to him, with her eyes closed, tears streaming out of them. He walked up to her. She said nothing, but her sobs were genuine. "Shuichi . . . why?" she half-muttered. (A/N: I know this wasn't in the last chapter, but bear with me here.)  
"Hold back your tears," he whispered in a raspy voice, as if he wasn't used to using it. "Do not cry for me." She opened her eyes and shrieked. He smiled as she reached out to him.  
"Shuichi," she whispered as she embraced him. "I thought you were dead."  
"I thought I was to," he muttered. She squeezed him tighter, and he gasped as blood gushed out of his stomach. "Easy, mother, please." She drew away from him.  
"You're hurt!" she cried.  
"It's nothing," he mumbled. But his head was spinning from the loss of blood. He stumbled, and Shiori caught him. "Okaa-san . . . there's something I need to tell you."  
"Later, when you're better," she whispered. "Come on, we need to get you to the house. I don't think I'll be the only one glad to see you're alive."  
  
Hiei, Yusuke, Kuwabara, Jeroun, Kuronue, and Koenma stood in Kurama's living room. They all looked sad as they milled around, making half-hearted conversation. No one was really in the mood to talk much, although Yusuke occasionally muttered, "I can't believe I shot Kurama." Whenever he did this, Kuronue half-heartedly assured Yusuke that it was not his fault. Finally, Jeroun tried at conversation.  
"We told Kurama's mother, Shiori," he said miserable, as though he had betrayed Kurama in some way. Koenma looked at him sharply.  
"What did you tell her?"  
"Just that her son died in an accident," Jeroun said.  
"Then she cried," Kuronue said.  
"And then stopped crying," Jeroun said lamely.  
"She went out into the forest alone," Kuronue continued.  
"Then we heard her scream 'Shuichi'," Jeroun finished. Kuronue blanched.  
"That was the worst part," Kuronue confirmed. "Hearing his mother despair over her lost son." Yusuke nodded. He remembered that part when he himself had died. Just then, Botan came in, annoyingly cheerful and happy. She stopped when she saw the look on everyone's faces. Kuwabara was the first to speak.  
"Botan, how can you be so-"  
"Disgustingly happy?" Hiei finished.  
"Why are you all down in the dumps?" Botan asked. Everyone stared at her as though she had three heads.  
"You mean . . . you weren't the one who guided him?" Koenma asked.  
"Guided who?"  
"Kurama," everyone except Botan chorused. Botan stared at them.  
"Koenma-sama, I think you should go over your paperwork again," Botan said.  
"Why?" Koenma asked.  
"Because Kurama's not dead," Botan said. "He never crossed over." Everyone, once again, stared at her as though she had three heads. Botan put her hands on her hips. "Really, he never crossed over."  
"Y-you mean my partner's ALIVE!!" Kuronue demanded, approaching Botan and shaking her by the shoulders.  
"Y-yes," Botan said through Kuronue-shakes.  
"Really, stop that behavior, Kuronue, otherwise I might have to throw you back in jail," Koenma joked, using a lighter tone than he had in a few days.  
"I don't care!!" Kuronue said, grabbing the child ruler. "My buddy is alive!!" Everyone was pretty much, more or less, on the same lines as Kuronue. Even Hiei, who usually showed no emotion, looked happier than he had a few minutes ago.  
"What do you say we go out and find him?" Jeroun declared, a goofy smile plastered on his face. Everyone agreed, and they were about to do just that, when they heard Shiori's voice ring out from the kitchen.  
"Kuronue? Jeroun? Are you two in the house?" She called. "Please come help me with Shuichi, he's wounded badly. . . . " So, naturally, everyone rushed out to see what happened. Shiori had Kurama's unwounded arm flung about her shoulder, and was half-supporting him and trying to get him into a kitchen chair. There was a large wound in his stomach that would usually be fatal to a human. "Please, we have to get him to a hospital, he's lost too much blood."  
"A hospital?" Kuronue asked. "Why are we going to take him to a n-" several hands were instantly clapped over Kuronue's mouth, belonging to Yusuke, Botan and Koenma. Jeroun looked as though he were about to ask the same thing as Kuronue but was stopped by the sound of Kurama's voice.  
"Jeroun . . . Kuronue," he mumbled when he saw them. "Let her do what she wants." Jeroun shut his open mouth and nodded. Kuronue looked from Shiori to Shuichi and then bowed his head, as much as an agreement as they were going to get from him.  
"Someone . . . " Shiori said, her attention going back to her wounded son.  
"Right! I'll call!" Botan declared, running for the phone. At about that time, Kurama passed out again, from blood loss.  
"Shuichi!" Shiori grabbed her son. Kuronue was there in a second, and checked Kurama's pulse. Then he tried to reassure Shiori that Kurama was alive.  
"Miss, miss Shiori," he said. "Shuichi is alive!! Really!!"  
"Shuichi . . . are you sure, Kuronue?" Shiori looked up at them, newly formed tears in her eyes.  
"He's alive," Jeroun said, once he also had been able to check Kurama's pulse himself. "We just don't know for how long." Kuronue nodded.  
"Like you said, he's lost too much blood," Kuronue said. "I think we'd better try to patch him up a bit, to keep him from bleeding anymore." A few moments later, Yusuke and Kuwabara had fetched the bandages while Koenma and Botan led Shiori into the next room so that Hiei could try some simple healing spells.  
"That's all I can do," he panted after about five minutes; the effort had taken a lot out of him. He stumbled slightly and Jeroun caught him and set him down in a chair.  
"I know better than to expect a thank you," Jeroun muttered to Yusuke as Kuronue demanded that he help put Kurama's bandages on. He was so persistent that they finally just let him. About that time, Shiori said that they had better just take him to the hospital when they were done. So then three demons, three humans, Koenma, Botan and Kurama (who was still unconscious and being carried by Kuronue and Jeroun) tried to stuff themselves into one car. It worked, but just barely.  
  
While they waited for news about Kurama, Shiori, Yusuke, Kuwabara, Hiei, Koenma, Botan, Jeroun, and Kuronue loitered about the hospital waiting room. Eventually, Koenma and Botan left, complaining about the work that they had to do. Then Hiei left, muttering something about going back to the Makai. A while after that, Shizuru stormed in, dragging Kuwabara out, just stopping long enough to tell them all how sorry she was. Even later, Atsuko came for Yusuke (an unlikely show of motherly affection on her part) doing the same as Shizuru and telling them to let her know how Kurama was in a while. Jeroun had nodded off and Kuronue was trying (and failing) to make Shiori relax when a nurse came out to them.  
"Are you the family of Shuichi Minamino?" Shiori practically ran to the nurse, Kuronue right behind her, and Jeroun snorted and woke from his sleep, getting up to join Kuronue.  
"I'm his mother," Shiori said as Jeroun skidded to a stop behind them, collided into Kuronue, and caused them both to fall over. The nurse eyed them critically before continuing.  
"And they are?"  
"His cousins," Shiori replied promptly, causing Kuronue and Jeroun to look at her from the floor with questions in their eyes. Shiori gave them a look that said, plainly, "I'll explain later."  
"Okay then," the nurse said, looking at her charts. "Well, I just came out to inform you that your son will be fine after a long rest. And to ask if you wanted to go see him."  
"We would love to," Shiori said after she hauled Kuronue and Jeroun to their feet. The nurse led them to a room where Kurama lay, asleep, hooked up to several machines that monitored his heart rate and other things. After the nurse left, Shiori turned to Jeroun and Kuronue.  
"Listen, I said you were Shuichi's cousins because they only let family in on the first visit," Shiori said.  
"Really," Kuronue wasn't sure if he approved of the way ningens did things.  
"Yes, and I can tell that even though you've only known each other for a short while, you care about Shuichi almost as much as I do." Shiori let out a breath as Kuronue and Jeroun smiled; she had been very nervous about saying that.  
"You're right," Jeroun said.  
  
"There's just something in Shuichi that makes him . . . easy to get along with," Kuronue finished. It was slightly lame, but it was all he could think of. He couldn't very well tell Shiori that her son used to be a master thief and that Kuronue had been his partner. Kurama would have his head. Jeroun thought the same.  
"Well then, we know he's all right," Shiori said. "Why don't we all go home and get a good rest." Kuronue and Jeroun glanced at each other. "You're welcome to stay with us, unless you would like to go somewhere else." Thoughts of the Makai briefly entered Jeroun's and Kuronue's heads. Then they grinned at each other.  
"We'd love to stay with you and Shuichi," Kuronue said.   
  
Phew, that took a while. Oh, and for the people who didn't understand this (I didn't really make it too clear, so it's my fault) Shiori won't find out who Kurama is.  
  
Kuronue: no kidding.  
  
Nagem: So . . .  
  
Kuronue: Is this the end?  
  
Nagem: I dunno. I guess it could be . . . but I was planning a scene where Kurama got out of the hospital.  
  
Kuronue: Maybe we should ask the reviewers what they want again.  
  
Nagem: All righty then! What do you all think? Should I continue with this? 


	15. Back in Action

Here's chappy fifteen (dang!!) of A Chance Reunion. Oh, and Karasu8, I changed my mind and I probably will make a chapter where Shiori finds out about Kurama's true form. But, in any case, it won't be this one.  
  
  
  
A few days after his admittance to the hospital, Kurama was released, the doctors declaring him healed, but puzzling over how he had healed so quickly. Kurama grinned as he watched them try and explain this mystery to his mother. Kuronue and Jeroun stood on either side of him, and the rest of the gang waited back at Kurama's house, promising a party as soon as the kitsune got home. Jeroun was happy and enjoying Kurama's company, but something seemed to be bothering Kuronue. Kurama glanced at his friend.  
"Something wrong?" he muttered when Shiori was not looking.  
"Your mother was saying, after you were brought in, that you had been trying to tell her something," Kuronue said. "I was just wondering what."  
"Nothing," Kurama said, now bothered by the subject himself.  
"If it were nothing, what I said about it wouldn't have bothered you," Kuronue said. Kurama gave a half-hearted grin. Kuronue knew him too well.  
"Come with me," he said. With a few words to his mother, he, Jeroun and Kuronue were headed out to Shiori's car.  
"So what's the deal?" Jeroun, once they had stopped walking.  
"I thought that I was going to die when I found 'kassan in the woods, so I tried to tell her . . . " Kurama hesitated at this point, wondering if he should go on. "Everything. About me, about you two . . . but she stopped me." Kuronue and Jeroun stared at him.  
"Are you still going to tell her?" Kuronue asked, Jeroun nodding along with him.  
"I don't know," Kurama said. "I guess that if she brings the subject up, there's no way to avoid it." He looked from Kuronue to Jeroun, wondering if there was any way his friends could help him.  
"You're right," Jeroun finally said after a few moments of silence. "So, if she does ask about that thing you were trying to tell her. . . . "  
"Then you should go ahead and spill everything," Kuronue said. "After all you did to her in these past few weeks, she deserves some sort of an explanation." The three of them grinned and nodded. Just then, Shiori came out to join them.  
"Are you ready to go home, Shuichi?" she asked.  
"Hai," Kurama said. They piled into the car.  
  
Yusuke and Kuwabara had kept their promise about the party. Everyone was there. The list of guests that had arrived when Kurama walked in the door was; Yusuke, Kuwabara, Hiei, Kuronue, Jeroun, Shiori, Atsuko (only because it had been said there would be drinks), Shizuru, Keiko, Yukina, Botan, Koenma, and Jorge. Even Yusuke had to admit he was astounded by the turnout (although he did not word it exactly that way).  
"Is everyone here?" Shiori asked over the chatter. Kuronue nodded.  
"I think so," he said. "This is everyone we invited at least." Kurama's eyes went wide.  
"You invited this many people to a party just because I'm okay?" he asked. Kuronue grinned and nodded.  
"Why not?"  
"And everyone needs an excuse to party once in a while," Shizuru said from the other side of the room. Kurama shook his head.  
"I always knew you were crazy," he muttered to Kuronue. He grinned wider. Suddenly loud music blasted half the group off their feet.  
"Who brought the stereo?" Kurama yelled over the noise.  
"Dunno!" Kuronue shouted back. "Coulda been anyone!!"  
"Great," Kurama muttered, somewhat sarcasticly.  
"Can't hear you!" Kuronue yelled as he began to dance to the beat. Kurama shook his head. (He's hopeless,) the kitsune thought. (They're all hopeless.) Okay. REALLY SHORT CHAPPIE HERE!! God, I don't think this thing's even a page . . . Anyway, as much as I hate to end it here, I'm at a stand still. Yes, there is going to be a chapter where Shiori finds out about Kurama being Youko and all, but how? I don't care which, so I'm asking everyone else. Here are your options:  
  
1) Kurama just tells her. Like that "BAM!" it's over.  
  
or  
  
2) The party is attacked by demons and Kurama transforms into Youko to fight.  
  
OR  
  
3) The party is attacked by demons, Shiori is kidnapped, and Kurama goes as Youko to save her.  
  
Erm, one last thing before I end this. The options go from shortest ending to longest ending. #1 would only be about one chapter #2 would be one chapter (although it might stretch to two) and #3 would be the longest, going anywhere from two to four more chapters.  
  
Please review and tell me what you want!! 


	16. Sometimes the truth stings

Disclaimer: I do not own Yu Yu Hakusho. I own nothing.   
  
Shiori looked about the party she had helped organize for her son. He seemed happy enough, laughing with Kuronue, Jeroun, and Yusuke. Shiori frowned. As happy as she was that Kurama had gotten out of the hospital, there was something off. Shiori sighed, and walked up to Kurama.  
"Shuichi?" she asked, putting a hand on his shoulder. "Can I have a word with you?" As she said this, she thought she saw Kuronue and Jeroun exchange nervous glances, but Kurama ignored them and turned to his mother.  
  
"Of course," he said, following her outside. Kurama kept his head down as he followed her. Once she had stopped walking and turned to face him, he looked up and smiled. Shiori smiled back, but everything seemed to forced to be really comfortable. "Is there something wrong?"  
"Shuichi . . . it feels as if you've been keeping something from me," Shiori said. Kurama swallowed hard, but tried to keep a cool front.  
"Like what?" he asked nervously, trying to act as if he didn't know what she was talking about. Shiori sighed.  
"It's just that . . . things have been a little weird lately," she said. "With Jeroun, and Kuronue. . . . And I thought his name was Kanon!"  
"I did too," Kurama said softly, bowing his head again.  
"Why? Why did he give us a fake name?" Shiori put her hand under his chin and forced him to look at her. "But there's more. This is the part that really bothers me. Kuronue said you were dead, died in some car accident. But then I go out to find you wandering out in the woods with a huge hole in the middle of your stomach." Kurama winced. This was it.  
"I guess I should start at the beginning," he said, not looking her in the eyes. "I'm . . . I'm not who you think I am."  
"What?"  
"My real name is Youko Kurama. I was a thief, a heartless youkai, until I was fatally wounded," Kurama paused, not wanting to go on.  
"And?" Shiori asked, breathless, as if this was all just an enchanting story he was telling her.  
"I came into this world, the Ningenkai, and hid," he said. Shiori could put the rest of it together by herself.  
"You hid . . . by pretending to be my son," she finished. Kurama nodded miserably. Shiori began to shake, but tried to keep her calm.  
"And where does Kuronue and everything else come into the picture?" she asked.  
"Kuronue was my partner," Kurama said. "He was supposedly killed right before I was. That's what I thought, at least, but I was wrong. It turned out, after a bit of healing, he was fine and in a prison. That's. . . ." Kurama couldn't quite remember the rest of the story.  
"That's where I met Jeroun, after he was arrested for a petty crime," Kuronue said. "Sorry, Kurama, I just thought you might need some help explaining my side of things." Kurama nodded.  
"Thanks," he said.  
"Sometime after Jeroun came in, he was signed up for a sort of test," Kuronue said. "And, it just so happens, that Kurama, being a detective for Koenma, got the job of watching him while he took the test. Meanwhile, I was planning to break out a jail."  
"Planning?"  
"I did break out," Kuronue finished with a sour face. "The thing was, many youkai didn't want to know that Youko Kurama and Kuronue, well, Kuronue, at least, was back. They would have tried to kill me. So, not knowing who Kurama was, I gave him a fake name to protect myself."  
"Then he learned that I was Youko Kurama," Kurama continued. "But it was too late. Yusuke, Kuwabara, Hiei and I were sent to kill him."  
"They're a part of this detective thing, too?" Shiori asked. Kurama nodded.  
"But, during the hunt, I learned that he was Kuronue," Kurama said. "So I didn't want to hunt him down. I wanted to give him another chance."  
"Yusuke didn't," Kuronue finished. "He shot at me, and Kurama jumped in front of the shot to protect me. He was hit in the stomach. We thought he was dead, so we left him."  
"But after I came to, I began to look for them," Kurama said. "And ran into you." Shiori swallowed. (Okay,) she thought. (I can handle this.) She might have too, if things had been different at the time.  
"How . . . how can I believe you?" she asked. Kurama opened his mouth, but at that moment there were screams erupting from inside the house, Kuwabara came running out.  
"Kurama! Kuronue! Urameshi told me to get you two!" he said.  
"Why?"  
"We're being attacked! Urameshi might need your help!! Come on!" Kuwabara ran into the house. Kurama turned to Shiori briefly before following.  
"I'll show you," he said. THIS IS NOT THE END!!  
  
Don't ask me why I put that. T.T  
  
Anyway . . . I really don't wanna say what's going to happen. That'd just ruin the surprise!! please review!! 


	17. Heartless?

Heh, I confused you people with my note last chapter. It said; This is NOT the end. Sorry bout that!  
  
I don't own Yu Yu Hakusho   
  
Shiori rushed into the house in time to see her son standing there. A moment later, he was replaced by a tall man with silver hair, silver ears, and a silver tail. Shiori gasped. Was this the Youko Kurama her son had been talking about? Several youkai who had been tormenting the other fighters (the girls had left as soon as they had grasped what was going on) and charged at him.  
"Shuichi!" Shiori gasped; she couldn't believe this fox-man was really her son, couldn't accept the fact that he was really a demon. Kurama reached into his hair, behind where his human ears would have been and pulled out several roses, then flung them at the attacking youkai. "Oh my."  
  
"All right, Kurama!!"Yusuke yelled. Shiori backed away from him. She didn't scream as she saw Kurama fling more roses at more attacking youkai. That didn't scare her; she was in a state of shock. Something jolted her out of it. She felt something against her leg. When she looked down, there was a youkai who looked as though he was made of mud trying to claw its way up her leg.  
"Get away from me!!" she screeched, batting at it. It opened its mouth to bite her, and a moment later there was a rose protruding from its flesh. She sighed. That was almost too much.  
"Are you all right?" asked a deep voice. Shiori turned to see Kurama standing there, a look of concern on his face. For some reason, Shiori thought it looked out of place. "You aren't hurt, are you?" He moved toward her, but she backed away from him.  
"I'm fine," she said. Kurama frowned, and at that moment, with Yusuke's yell of "SPIRIT GUN!!" the fight ended. Yusuke approached them.  
"Thanks Kurama," he said. "You helped out a lot."  
"It was nothing," Kurama said. "I was protecting my mother." He motioned back at Shiori, and something clicked in her brain. (He saved my life,) she thought. (I should thank him. But the way he. . . . hit that. . . . ) She looked over at the youkai Kurama had killed. Never once had he had a look that said he felt bad about killing them. (Only a monster. . . . ) If she had been in her right mind, she would have thought about the fact that the youkai were the ones attacking without guilt, and that her son and his friends were only fighting in self-defense. But, she was not in her right mind. Kurama turned to her. "Okaa-san, are you sure you're all right?"  
"Don't call me that," she said. "I'm not your mother."  
"But-I thought that-" Kurama said, moving toward her.  
"Get away from me, monster!!" She raised her hand and hit him across the face. Kuronue winced; even though Kurama loved her, Shiori had gone too far. But the Youko did not make a move against her. He gently touched his face where Shiori had slapped him. Shiori raised her hand again. "Didn't you hear me? Get away from here! Get away . . . away from me!!" She slapped him again, and Kurama fled.  
  
When Shiori woke the next morning, she prayed that everything that had happened in the last few weeks was all just a bad dream, brought on by the airplane food. But as she got up and went to check on Kurama, he was not there. Shiori fell to her knees. (What have I done?) she thought. She remembered watching Kurama flee after she had slapped him. She had then kicked Kuronue and Jeroun out of the house as well. As she walked into the kitchen, she saw the rose that had been jammed into the demon's body the night before. She picked it up.  
"I should find Sh-Kurama and apologize," she said. "I did act rather rashly last night." But, as she put the rose into a glass of water, hoping to keep it healthy, she remembered the other things that he had said. (He lied to me!!) she thought, her hand shaking. She dropped the glass. It shattered. "He deserves it. He was never my son." She bent down to retrieve the pieces, and heard a voice.  
"You know, perhaps you should get help," it said. "You're starting to act a little weird." Shiori looked up. There was Kuronue, sitting on the counter. (When did he get there?) Shiori wondered. She opened her mouth, but before she could scream, Kuronue had his hand over her mouth. "I just need to talk," he told her. "So don't get all scared on me. Now, if I remove my hand, do you promise not to scream?" Shiori nodded. The hand was removed.  
"What do you need to talk about?"  
"Your son."  
"I have no son."  
"Yes, you do, and you know what else?" Kuronue looked at her with such anger in his eyes that Shiori meekly backed against the counter, under the window.  
"W-what?"  
"He's depressed!! He thought that you would be able to handle the fact that he's a youkai!" Kuronue glared at her. "But no! You had to go and slap him and tell him to get away!!" Kuronue took a breath and was about to begin another rant when Shiori cleared her throat.  
"Is he really that depressed?" she asked. Kuronue looked over at her, and barely had time to shout out a warning before the glass behind her broke, and the thing that had come sailing through the window hit her in the back of the head, knocking her out. Kuronue caught her as she fell.  
"Where are you?" Kuronue demanded. "Show your face, you damned coward!!" He heard a laugh, and then something hit him in the back of the head as well.  
"Cute act," a voice said as a large, ogre-like youkai picked Shiori up and left. Kuronue moaned, and the voice laughed again. Can anyone guess what I'm doing yet?? Please review!!  
  
oh, and THIS IS NOT THE END!! 


	18. Gone

Hello there! Here's yet another chapter to A chance Reunion!  
  
Disclaimer: I got this contract saying that I owned 'em, but it was just a fake.   
  
(*Kuronue . . . Kuronue. . . . *)  
"Just a few minutes more. . . . "  
(*Kuronue, what's going on?*)  
"I want to sleep a little bit more, that's what's going on!!"  
(*Not what I meant. . . . *)  
"Huh? What do you mean then?"  
(*KURONUE!!*)  
"Huh? What? Ow!!"  
  
Kuronue sat up straight, ramming his head into Kurama's, who just happened to be standing over him. Both kitsune and chimera reeled away from each other, clutching at their heads. Kuronue groaned, and blinked a few times, his brain now trying to think past a major headache. So, naturally, he said the first thing that came to his mind.  
"Shit, Shuichi, you have a hard head!!"  
"You're the one with the hard head, and I'm Kurama, remember?"  
"Oh, yeah," Kuronue said, finally seeing the person in front of him. Kurama had turned back into his human form, but he definitely looked worse for the wear. His red hair hung limp about his shoulders, caked with grime and dirt. His face was no better. The only features you could make out were his bright green eyes, although the life that was usually in them seemed to have gone out. His clothes were torn as well as dirty, and he sustained several cuts, some still bleeding and some clotted up with dry blood and grime. Kuronue looked over his friend with a concerned gleam in his eyes.  
"What?" Kurama asked, which, in Kuronue's opinion, was the stupidest question he could have asked at that moment.  
"What have you done to yourself?" Kuronue asked him, walking in circles about his friend and tenderly touching a particularly bad cut or one that looked as though it were infected. Then he looked his friend in the eyes, and touched a finger to Kurama's cheek. He trailed it down through the grime, and then brought it up to show Kurama. He shrugged.  
"I guess I am a bit dirty," he said.  
"Kurama, what's with you?" Kuronue asked. "You've never let yourself get this dirty before. And all these wounds! They'll get you sick if you don't get them treated!!"  
"Kuronue, you sound just like-" Kurama broke off, and turned away, but not before Kuronue heard him mutter. "Like 'Kassan, when she still cared about me."  
"That's what this is about," Kuronue said, something nagging at the back of his mind. There was something he needed to tell Kurama about Shiori, if he could only remember it.  
"What?"  
"You're . . . not yourself ever since Shiori. . . . "  
"Shut up!!"  
"Kurama, look at what you've done to yourself!!" Kurama paused for a moment. Then he looked down at his tattered clothing, and ran his own finger down his cheek, picking up another trail of grime. "See, Kurama?" Kuronue's tone was pleading.  
"Kuronue. . . . " Kurama said.  
"You get yourself cleaned up while I try and remember what happened to me," Kuronue said. Kurama nodded, and left to take a shower.  
  
Kuronue walked into the kitchen, which was the last place he remembered being. There was something important that he needed to tell Kurama about Shiori, but he couldn't for the life of him remember what it was. He walked into the kitchen to see cardboard covering a broken window above one of the counters . . .  
(Shiori cowers against the counter, wondering why this demon facing her wants to bring up such painful memories of the youkai she used to call her son.)  
Kuronue leaned against the counter. It was coming back to him. Slowly, but surely, he was remembering what had happened.  
("Watch out!!" Kuronue yells, but it is too late. Shiori falls, and he catches her. He looks around wildly. "Where are you?" he demands. "Show your face you coward!!")  
Kuronue frowned. Someone had attacked Shiori. That was bound to make Kurama angry. Then again, maybe he didn't care. (Think about who you're talking about,) he scolded himself.  
(A laugh rings out, and something hits Kuronue on the head, knocking him. He drops Shiori as he falls to the floor.)  
Kuronue's eyes grew wide. (And that was why it was hard to remember!!) he thought. He walked over to the trashcan. Under the lid there were several pieces of glass. Kuronue frowned. It appeared that everything he remembered was correct. He wondered why in the world Shiori had been kidnapped. He wondered where in the world anyone could have taken her.  
"Damn them!" he whispered fiercely. "Damn them, damn them, damn them!!"  
"Kuronue?"  
"Jeroun!"  
"What in the world happened here?"  
"Bad, bad, bad," Kuronue whispered as his friend took a seat. "Shiori's been kidnapped by someone."  
"NANI?!?!" Jeroun yelled. Kuronue clapped a hand over his mouth.  
"Try and keep it down, will you?"  
"Gomen," Jeroun said. "But how . . . why?"  
"I don't know," Kuronue said. "And I'm not sure what we're going to do."  
"Kurama?"  
"I don't know if he even cares anymore," Kuronue said. "That rejection . . . it's been hard on him." Kuronue winced, remembering the scene earlier.  
"Hard," Jeroun said, pausing as though he were letting the word roll over his tongue. "Hard . . . what exactly do you mean by that?"  
"Kuronue? Jeroun?" Both Kuronue and Jeroun looked up to see Shuichi in the doorway to the kitchen. He looked cleaner than he had this morning, having bathed and changed clothes. His hair was bright red once again, and tied back to keep it out of his face. He wore a pair of jeans and a white T- shirt. You could see the multiple cuts on his arms because of the T-shirt. Most of them looked better, having had the dirt cleaned out of them, but a few looked as though infection had already set in. And Kurama had made no move to bandage any of them. Jeroun looked over at Kuronue. Kuronue raised his eyebrows and nodded. Jeroun swallowed hard.  
"Like that, okay," Jeroun said, nervously turning his head away. That was what Kuronue had meant by "hard."  
"Kurama," Kuronue said sternly. "I thought we agreed that you'd clean yourself up." Kurama shrugged.  
"I took a shower," he said. "Pulled back my hair and changed my clothes. What more do you want me to do?" Kuronue got up and walked over to the kitsune.  
"How about you clean your wounds?" Kuronue suggested, being as patient with Kurama as he could be. Kurama looked at the cuts on his arms.  
"These?" he asked. "These are nothing. They're just scratches."  
"Kurama. . . . " Kuronue growled.  
"Kuronue?" Kurama said nervously as Kuronue took Kurama by the shoulders and marched him up the stairs to the bathroom to clean his wounds, plainly ignoring the protesting "eep"s emitting from Kurama's mouth.  
  
Shiori groaned softly as she came to. (Where am I?) she wondered as she looked around. (The last thing I remember was being in my kitchen with that Kuronue. . . . ) Whatever she was in, it was not her kitchen. The walls were made of old-looking gray stones laid in no particular pattern. What scared her was that on one wall, there were bars, like the ones you'd find in a jail cell. Although they ran in a vertical pattern, there was one place where a thicker horizontal and vertical bar outlined a door. Shiori was laying on what seemed to be a bed, although the sheets were very thin, and there was no pillow. The bed attached on one side to the wall, with chains holding up the other side. Across from her, in the other corner about ten or so feet away, there was a small toilet with a thin sheet hung around it for privacy. After about five minutes of observing her surroundings, Shiori suddenly knew where she was.  
"I'm in a jail cell," she muttered to herself. She closed her eyes and remembered what had happened. She had been in the kitchen with Kuronue. Kuronue had yelled something, the window broke behind her, and something hit her hard in the head, obviously knocking her out. Shiori put her hand to her forehead. "Why me?"  
"You awake, ningen?" Shiori jumped. At the door to her cell were two ugly-looking demons. One was a large ogre-like creature, and the other was a creature slightly resembling the mud-thing that had attacked Shiori at the party. (Oh, god,) she thought. (Kurama. . . . )  
"She's awake, she's just being difficult," the other one, the mud- thing said. The two of them entered, and Shiori shrieked, throwing her arms up in front of her face.  
"Oh, look, she's scared," said the ogre-thing, advancing on her.  
"Get away from me!!" Shiori shrieked, smacking him. He growled and backed away, one hand gingerly prodding the large red smack-mark.  
"Strong, for a ningen," the ogre-thing said. Shiori held her now-sore hand and faced the two, glaring at them. "Brave, too. Or maybe she's just foolish?" Shiori ignored the insult and spoke.  
"What do you want with me?" she asked. The mud-thing smiled.  
"We could care less about you," it said. "Our master wants revenge on your son." Shiori found herself suddenly blinking back tears at the mention of Kurama.  
"I have no son," she said. "I don't know what you're talking about."  
"Oh, yes you do," the ogre said. "You're just denying the truth about him. That he's really Youko Kurama. Am I right?"  
"I have no son!" Shiori cried, her voice wavering. She closed her eyes, but a tear still trickled down her cheek. "I never had a . . . son." She fell to her knees. "Never ever."  
"I was right," the ogre said. Shiori began to sob.  
"I have no son!" she cried again, although she might have done better to keep her mouth shut. The words were weak, feeble protests that she was beginning to resent. She swallowed, and looked up at the two with red-eyes. "He doesn't care about me anymore."  
"Yes, well, if that's the case, we will kill you," the ogre said. Shiori gasped, and then hardened her face into an emotionless mask.  
"He doesn't," she said. "I hurt him. Rejected him. He won't come."  
"Shut up!" the ogre said, and hit Shiori across the face. She cried out. The ogre raised his hand to hit her again, but the mud-thing stopped him.  
"There's no use in hurting her," it said. "Just let her believe what she wants." With that, the two demons left Shiori to her tears.   
  
Okay then, here we go. Things are about to get interesting.  
  
Next time:  
Kuronue and Jeroun tell Kurama about Shiori, and, as expected, he doesn't take it very well. But then he does something completely unexpected. He refuses to come to Shiori's aid!! Can Kuronue convince the kitsune to put the (recent) past behind him and go save his mother? Plus, we finally get a look at the person behind all of this. 


	19. Kurama's rejection

Hey there! Here's chappy nineteen! But first, I think I need to answer a few questions. . . .  
  
To Sedai Dragon- Yeah, Shiori probably is the type of parent who would take it well, maybe do this whole, "As long as this is all in the past" thing. But for my purposes, no. Because the votes were so close (not really) and something was pointed out to me, (the little bit of a plot hole with the Shiori hearing Kurama's dead and then finding him out in the woods) I thought I should just combine the three. So, she needed to be all rejective.  
  
To Dragon Sythe- Yeah . . . I know I made it sound like I wasn't going to update for weeks on end. But I just thought that telling everyone what was happening in the next chapter might make them want to read t even more . . . stupid really. ^___^ anyway, don't think too much like that.  
  
Disclaimer: I don't own Yu Yu Hakusho.   
Kurama sat on the living room couch after Kuronue had cleaned up his cuts, sulking as the two other youkai watched him nervously.  
::Kuronue?:: Jeroun mind-called, with a quick glance over at the kitsune on the couch. Kurama glanced over, knowing some unheard message was passing between them, but ignored it.  
::Yeah?:: Kuronue said once Kurama turned away.  
::Are we gonna tell him about Shiori?:: Jeroun asked.  
::I don't know:: Kuronue said. Kurama fidgeted on the couch, knowing something unpleasant was about to happen.  
"What's up you guys?" Kurama asked. "Why all the secrecy around here all of the sudden?" Jeroun glanced at Kuronue, who nodded. Both youkai inhaled, sighed, and then looked Kurama straight in the eyes. "What?"  
"Kurama, something happened," Jeroun said.  
"Well, that's obvious," Kurama retorted. He wasn't in a good mood lately. (A/N: *with a major hint of sarcasm* Wonder why?) Both Jeroun and Kuronue winced. "What? What's the matter?" he asked, suddenly nervous.  
"Yesterday, I came here to visit your mother about you," Kuronue said. "I thought that if I talked to her, maybe she'd rethink her actions and apologize to you."  
"How'd it go?" Kurama asked, sounding completely unconcerned about it.  
"Well, I never really got that far," Kuronue said.  
"What do you mean?" Kurama asked, suddenly nervous again, although he was trying his best to hide it.  
"A few moments into the conversation, something came through the window," Kuronue said. "I tried to warn Shiori, but it knocked her out." Kurama jumped to his feet, enraged.  
"Who would dare!!!!" he growled, very pissed off, even by this point.  
  
"Well, I can think of a few people," Jeroun quipped lamely, but shut up as Kurama glared at him. "Nevermind."  
"I yelled at them to show themselves, but whoever it was knocked me out as well," Kuronue said. "And by the time I came to. . . . "  
"'Kassan was gone," Kurama finished for him. His hands, which were balled up into fists, shook. He took calming breaths, but still fell to his knees as they gave out on him. "Okaa-san." Kurama put his face into his hands. "Okaa-san."  
"Kurama . . . we have to go find her," Kuronue said.  
"You actually care about her?" Kurama asked, bringing his face out of his hands. His eyes, surprisingly, were dry. He even managed to haul himself back to his feet and onto the couch again. Jeroun thought this was slightly strange.  
"She was kind to me, even if she did hit me on the head that one morning," Kuronue said. "And I can't help but feel that this is somehow my fault."  
"It's not, though," Jeroun hurriedly reassured him.  
"We don't know," Kuronue said. "Either way, back to the more pressing matter. Kurama, we have to go find her. We could follow her life energy if nothing else, plus that guy, whoever he was, left a very strong scent all about the kitchen."  
"That's what that smell was," Kurama muttered. "An ogre, right?"  
"I think so, or at least that's what carried her away," Kuronue said. Kurama frowned. "What's up?"  
"Nothing," Kurama lied. The truth was, there was something else in that smell, something that smelled to familiar for comfort. "Maybe I've just been around Jorge too much, but regular ogres do not smell like gunpowder, right?"  
"No," Kuronue said. "I was wondering about that, too." Kurama frowned; if he could just place that smell, he'd know what was going on. "So . . . we should get going, right?"  
"You two are welcome to go, but I'm staying here," Kurama said. Kuronue nodded, walked to the door, seemed to realize what Kurama had said, and turned to face the kitsune.  
"Nani?" he said as calmly as he could. Perhaps he had misheard Kurama. The redhead sighed and put his hands on his hips.  
"I said that you and Jeroun were welcome to go, but that I'm going to stay here," Kurama said. Jeroun, who had gotten up, walked straight into a wall.  
"Are you crazy?" he asked, but no one could hear him, for his face was stuffed into the wall. Kuronue stared at Kurama for a few moments before his shocked stare turned into a cold, hardened glare. Kurama backed away from him. There were few times when the chimera had scared the crap out of Kurama. This was one of those times.  
"I can't believe you," Kuronue said. "She raised you without a complaint! She's done a fine job of taking care of you, keeping you out of trouble and such!! And you lied to her your entire ningen life!! This is how you repay her for her kindness?"  
"She was the one who rejected me, if I remember correctly," Kurama said. "Not the other way around." He hadn't moved from his spot on the couch. Kuronue wasn't sure what made him do this, but he walked over to Kurama, brought his hand around, and smacked the kitsune across the face. Kurama's head snapped to the side, his red hair flying, brushing against Kuronue's hand. When the kitsune turned his head around to face Kuronue, his bright green eyes were wide with shame and surprise. Neither found themselves able to say a word. Even Jeroun, who had pried his face out of the wall in time to see the slap, stared. Kuronue and Kurama stared at each other, wondering who would break first. Kurama fell off the couch, and onto his knees once more. "G-gomen, Kuronue, I didn't know what I was thinking," he said. Kuronue swallowed hard.  
"Damn straight you didn't," the chimera said. "Now, are you coming, or are you just going to sit here like a spoiled brat?"  
"Coming," Kurama said weakly, and hauled himself to his feet and out the door with his friends.  
  
Shiori laid on her bed, staring at the stone-slabbed wall. She reached out and touched it. It was so cold, and it made her long for her home, and the way everything once was. (Will it change the fact that he's a demon?) a small voice in her mind asked her. She shook her head. (No,) she answered herself. Shiori sighed. How long had she been here again? Not even a whole day yet, and already she longed to be home, for someone to come and rescue her. She was brought out of her daydream by the sound of metal scraping against metal. Someone was opening her door. She froze, sure that her stillness would convince her captors that she wasn't to be bothered. That didn't exactly work.  
"She's asleep?" one, the mud-thing, asked.  
"Wake her up," the ogre replied. "She needs to come see our master with us now. He said to fetch her." Shiori felt her blood run cold. She had already heard plenty about this "master" He was, supposedly, powerful, able to . . . oh, what was it again? She couldn't remember. The ogre came over and shook her roughly, and she turned over to show him what she hoped was a tired, don't-mess-with-me face. "Come on, ningen."  
"Please, I'm ever so tired," Shiori said, resisting the urge to slap the ogre again. In fact. . . . On closer inspection of his face, she could see the dim outline of the whack she had given him earlier. He growled and touched a hand to his face.  
"A few hours ago you were awake enough to give me this," the ogre said. He yanked her out of the bed. "Come on." Shiori struggled as she was pulled out of her cell. She pulled against his grip, but he was stronger than she, with an iron-like grip about her arm. Shiori had a strong suspicion that the blood was being cut of at that point.  
"Let me go!" she growled. The ogre paused, startled by the sudden burst of courage that Shiori displayed, and the woman took the chance to yank her arm out of his grip. "It's . . . not polite to treat people this way!"  
"You are not to tell me how I am to treat you!" the ogre growled. Shiori whimpered, backing against the wall, her courage completely diminished by the ogre's threat. She threw her hands up in an attempt to shield her face, terrified of the beating she was sure she had earned herself.  
"Look, we scared her," the mud-thing said.  
"We should scare her some more," the ogre said, advancing on Shiori. She cried out as she saw the ogre lift a fist through the gap in her arms.  
"Stop!!!" she cried, closing her eyes.  
"I said you were not to harm her," a deep, smooth voice said. Shiori uncovered her face and opened her eyes in time to see a flash of black behind the ogre before the thing vanished in a loud, resounding "BANG" that echoed throughout the hallway.  
"Who are you?" Shiori asked, unsure of where the strange voice and the bang, and heck, everything had come from.  
"Are you all right?" asked the voice from before. A pale hand reached out to her. Shiori shrank back, expecting a beating. "Don't be afraid." Shiori took the hand, and the hand's owner pulled her to her feet. "You seem all right."  
"I am," Shiori said. She looked up into violet eyes. "That was you?"  
"Yes," the voice said.  
"But why?"  
"Because I need you to carry out my plan," the voice said. The owner began to lead Shiori through the hallways.  
"Why?" Shiori asked, almost fearing the answer.  
"You are Shuichi Minamino's mother, correct?" Shiori stiffened.  
"I am Shiori Minamino, if that is what you mean," she said, suddenly weary.  
"And you are aware of the fact that he is Youko Kurama, are you not?" the voice asked. "I thought he told you a little bit ago."  
"Yes," Shiori said hesitantly. "How do you know though?" she asked on a sudden burst of suspicion. "Do you . . . do you stalk us or something?" Even though Shiori could not see it, a light smile crept over thin lips.  
"I guess you could say so," he muttered, somewhat under his breath.  
  
"Come on!!" Yusuke and Kuwabara were heading over to Kurama's house, hearing from Koenma that the fox had shown himself around there just a little while ago. Koenma had already told them that Kuronue was there, and that Jeroun had arrived not too long after Kurama.  
"I'm coming, Urameshi, I'm coming," Kuwabara yelled, being about ten feet behind Yusuke. "I don't run that fast!!"  
"Come on!!" Yusuke said yet again, for about the tenth time since they had began running. Kuwabara didn't know why, but he had been counting.  
  
"Urameshi, I don't see why we're doing this," Kuwabara said. "Knowing Kurama, they've probably already worked things out."  
"Granting that Kurama stayed for more than five seconds and that Shiori actually listened to him," Yusuke said. "But you might be right." (A/N: Kuwabara, right? Oh, god help us. well, maybe . . . ya know what? Nevermind)  
"Might be? The great Kazuma Kuwabara is always right!!" Kuwabara yelled.  
"Save the act for Yukina, Kuwabara, she's the only one who buys it," Yusuke said. "Hey! We're almost there!" The rounded a corner and within moments were knocking on the door.  
"Kurama!! Open up!!" Kuwabara yelled. "Come on!! It's us!!"  
"Kurama, are you in there?" Kuwabara turned to Yusuke.  
"Urameshi, I don't think he's in there," Kuwabara said.  
"No shit, Sherlock," Yusuke said. (A/N: Slightly un-Yusuke-ish, but I thought I could get away with it. I'm in a comment-y mood tonight, aren't I?) "Maybe they're just out back."  
"Yeah," Kuwabara said.  
"Come on," Yusuke told him. Yusuke led him around, but there was no one anywhere to be found. "Wonder where Kurama could have gotten to."  
"No clue," Kuwabara said.  
"Of course you don't have a clue," said another voice. Both Tantei jumped. Yusuke recovered first and looked into a nearby tree.  
"Hey, Hiei," Yusuke said. Hiei jumped down from the tree, landing lightly on the ground between Yusuke and Kuwabara. The latter jumped, but put on a forced smile.  
"Hey Shrimp!!" he said.  
"What are you two doing here?" Hiei asked them.  
"Trying to find Kurama," Yusuke said. "Hey, Hiei, you spend a lot of time in that tree out there, did you happen to see anything?" Hiei nodded. "Well?"  
"Kurama, Kuronue, and Jeroun left a while ago," Hiei said. Yusuke and Kuwabara glanced at each other, both with confused looks on their faces.  
"How long ago?" Yusuke asked.  
"About an hour," Hiei said. "Something was said about going to the Makai."  
"Why in the world would he want to go back to the Makai?" Yusuke asked.  
"I don't know," Hiei said. "I'll be damned if he tells me anything anymore! He shares all of his secrets with Kuronue!!"  
"Sounds like someone is a little jealous," Kuwabara muttered in Yusuke's ear. "Sounds like Kuronue's taking Hiei's place in Kurama's life."  
  
"I heard that, baka," Hiei growled in a low voice.  
"I didn't mean it!" Kuwabara said hurriedly. "I really didn't!!" Hiei growled and moved toward the human. Yusuke noticed this and moved between them.  
"Drop it, Hiei," Yusuke said. Then, on a sudden train of thought, "Is Shiori there?" Hiei's and Kuwabara's eyes widened.  
"I don't think so," Hiei said. "That might be why. . . . "  
"Kurama's going back to the Makai!!"  
"I don't get it," Kuwabara said.  
"Listen, something must have happened to Kurama's mom," Yusuke explained, a hint of impatience in his voice. "If something happened to Kurama's mom, and to help her, he had to go to the Makai. . . . "  
"Oh!!" Kuwabara said, finally catching on. Yusuke grinned at Hiei.  
"He's only a little slow," Yusuke said.  
"Are we gonna go after Kurama?" Kuwabara asked.  
"He can handle himself," Hiei said.  
"But we should go give him some help!!" Yusuke declared. "Lets go."  
"Why do I get dragged into these things?" Hiei muttered as the two other boys ran off. Hiei quickly caught up with them. Phew. That took a while. Anyway . . . PLEASE REVIEW!! I'M ALMOST AT 300!!! 


	20. Still loved

Here's chapter 20!!  
  
Oh, and I hate to ruin the surprise, but congratulations to Anime Crazy Girl, Rurouni Saiyan, and Ginevra for correctly guessing who the "master" is!! ^__^ A plushie to all three of you!  
  
Disclaimer: I don't own Yu Yu Hakusho.  
  
(thoughts/dreams) ::Mind-to-mind:: *talking in dreams* "talking"   
(*'Kassan! 'Kassan!!* running away, gotta get away. *Shuichi, is there something you need to tell me?* stop this madness. What have I done to deserve this? *Get away!* I paid for all my sins, please. . . . *She raised you without a complaint . . . this is how you repay her?* No, this was not supposed to happen *Get away from me.* not supposed to happen at all *Get away from me!!* not . . . supposed . . . *Shuichi!!*)  
  
"'Kassan!!" Kurama looked about him. He was in the Makai with Jeroun and Kuronue, and both of them were fast asleep, Kuronue in a tree (too much like Hiei,) Kurama thought, and Jeroun was spread out on the ground. Kurama himself had brought along several blankets, out of which he had made some sort of a nest for himself. Kuronue and Jeroun had refused the blankets earlier. Getting a hold of himself, Kurama realized that he had been dreaming. He put his hand to his forehead and fell back down on the mound of blankets.  
"K'rama?" Kurama jumped up and looked around. There was Kuronue, having fell out of the tree, awake and rubbing the sleep out of his eyes. He looked about and spotted Kurama sitting up in his nest of blankets. "Morning already?" Kuronue asked sleepily. Kurama shook his head.  
"No . . . go back to sleep Kuro," Kurama said.  
"All right, whatever you say K'rama," Kuronue said, having never fully awoken. A few moments later, Kurama heard Kuronue's snores signaling the other youkai was asleep. Kurama stuffed a blanket into a ball, making a new pillow for himself. His old one had unballed while he had been tossing and turning in the dream. Kurama laid down and willed himself to sleep. He had a lot to do tomorrow.  
But the sleep never came. A few moments later, there were several loud bangs, followed by sounds of yelling . . . well, yelling somethings. Kurama felt something touch his back, heard Kuronue and Jeroun yell, and remembered who smelled like gunpowder and would want revenge on him all at the same time. He came up out of the blankets snarling, sending one youkai who was hovering over him flying into a nearby tree, leaving the other to face Kurama's wrath. He grabbed the remaining youkai by the collar and lifted him into the air.  
"Where are they?" he snarled. "Tell me where they are!!" The youkai looked startled.  
"Who are you talking about?"  
"You know very well who I'm talking about!"  
"Huh?"  
"Don't play dumb with me!!"  
"Okay, Kurama's pissed," Jeroun said, looking over once he and Kuronue had finished off the other attackers.  
"Really?" Kuronue said sarcastically. "Whatever gave you that idea?"  
"Well, I just thought that. . . . " Jeroun began.  
"I was joking, Jeroun, joking," Kuronue said, returning his attention back to the pissed-off kitsune, who had just slammed his captive into a tree repeatedly.  
"Tell me!!"  
"I have no idea who you're talking about!"  
"He took her!" Kurama yelled, tears flying out of his eyes. "He took her! Now tell me where he is!" Kurama's captive looked from Kurama to Jeroun to Kuronue.  
"Who is he talking about?"  
"I'm assuming he's talking about whoever took his mother," Kuronue said. Jeroun stepped forward, his hands in front of him, to break up the fight.  
"Kurama, maybe this guy really doesn't know who we're after," Jeroun said. "I mean, I don't even know who we're after, come to think of it."  
"Stay out of this, Jeroun!!" Kurama snapped. Jeroun 'eeped' and ran to hide behind Kuronue. "And I know who took her!" Kuronue looked behind him to meet Jeroun's eyes.  
"Well?" he asked.  
"Sometimes he scares me, Kuronue, he really does," Jeroun said.  
"I'm sure that you're not the first," Kuronue said, half-heartedly patting Jeroun on the head. Kurama, meanwhile, had taken to shaking his captive by the throat until he was ready to talk. "Kurama . . . be nice." Kuronue offered, earning himself a glare from the kitsune.  
"Hee hee, and I take it you're not the second?" Jeroun asked. Kuronue hit him in the head. "I was joking, Kuronue."  
"Not funny," the chimera pouted.  
"Well, have you had enough?" Kurama asked his captive. The youkai shook his head and once again tried to explain this to Kurama.  
"I have no connections to whoever you're after," he said. "And I have no idea who you're talking about."  
"Are you sure about this?" Kurama asked him.  
"Positive," the youkai said. "Your friends just killed the only other living beings I ever knew." Kuronue stepped forward.  
"Then you should join them!" he said, killing the youkai with a cut across the throat from his scythe. Kurama stepped back, his clothes now covered in blood, and scowled at Kuronue.  
"What?"  
"You could have waited until I was out of the way," Kurama said, plucking at his bloodstained clothes with disgust.  
"Sorry," Kuronue said.  
"Hey," Jeroun said. "You said you knew who mom-napped your mother. You figured it out, then?" Kurama looked over at the fire youkai.  
"Yeah," he said, slightly sadly.  
"Who?" Kuronue and Jeroun said together. Kurama's face darkened, his eyes went cold, and the two other youkai could feel his energy sparking dangerously.  
"Karasu," he whispered.  
  
"I wonder how long it will take that fox to figure out that it's me," the youkai said, sipping at a cup of what looked like wine. Shiori looked up from her place in the corner. The man, (youkai,) she corrected herself silently, had kept her by his side ever since the accident in the hall. "Wouldn't want the fox to be upset with me for letting harm come to you," he had said, chaining her to the wall and sitting her in a chair. She assumed that the youkai had meant Kurama, and she had not moved since she had bowed her head a few seconds after he chained her there. Now, though, she watched him with caution. He was tall, with long dark hair, with piercing violet eyes. The strangest thing about him was the silver mask that covered his nose and mouth. He glanced up, saw her, and grinned at her.  
"Fox," Shiori said. "You mean . . . "  
"Your son," the youkai said.  
"I have no son," Shiori said, bowing her head once more. He (A/N: I know that we all know who this guy is, but I'm kinda keeping it from Shiori's POV, okay?) walked over to her and put his hand under her chin, forcing her to look up at him.  
"I know you don't," he said. "You have a fox youkai living with you, a traitorous, lying, thieving, fox-"  
"SHUT UP!!" Shiori yelled jumping to her feet in an unusual fit of rage. The chains pulled on her arms, but she ignored them and refused to sit back down in the chair. "He's a kind, well-behaved, intelligent boy! Just who do you think you are, talking about him like that?"  
"My name . . . is Karasu," he said. "But that is not the point. You obviously still have some attachment to Kurama. Otherwise, you would not want to hear the truth about him." Shiori finally gave into the chain's pull and sat down hard on the chair. She glared at Karasu, who merely laughed.  
"Why?" she asked. "Why do you need me to get to him?"  
"He cares for you more than anything else in this world," Karasu said. "He even would give his life to see you live happily." Shiori stared. He was playing mind-games now, he had to be. (Would Kurama really give up his life for me?) Shiori wondered.  
"So you took me to get to him," Shiori said. "You knew all along that he would come for me."  
"Yes," Karasu said with a sickening smile.  
"Monster!!" Shiori said, getting up once more. Karasu, who had not backed away from the chair, received the full-effect of her tackle.  
"Insolent ningen!" Karasu growled, trying to stop his mad skid across the floor. "I saved you from the ones who wanted to hurt you, and this is how you pay me back?" He advanced on her, hand outstretched. Shiori, fearing nothing more than a slap, challenged him.  
"Come and get a piece of me!" Karasu paused.  
"You have no idea what I can do to you," he said. "Let me demonstrate." He walked over to a vase on a table near Shiori. He gently put his hand to it, kept it there for no more than a second, and then pulled away from it.  
"Is that all?" Shiori said. "The touch attack? You're-" Shiori would have gone on, but at that moment the vase exploded with a loud BANG. Shiori gulped and reconsidered her words. "Very very scary." Karasu smiled, even though she could not see it through his mask, she saw it in his eyes.  
"That's better," he said. "Now where did I leave off? Ah, yes, I was about to show you that you should treat your hosts better." He advanced on her once more, and Shiori pulled away as best she could. The chains clanked, and she mentally cursed herself for forgetting about them.  
"Some host," she scoffed, pulling on the chains in a last attempt to get away from Karasu. She felt the air grow cold as he get nearer, and she closed her eyes, hoping for death. She could picture him at this point, reaching his hand out to her. Shiori swallowed hard and began to pray. . . .  
"LAY A FINGER ON HER AND YOU DIE, KARASU!!!!!!!" Ooooooh!! Cliffie! Major cliffie!! Short chappy, I know, but I couldn't help it. (Plus I only have about a minute more on the computer, and I really wanted to get it done.) Anyway . . . please review . . . I'm still not at 300. T.T  
  
Oh, and I dunno . . . maybe kidnapping Shiori was a little out of Karasu's character . . . and maybe Shiori would put up more of a fight, but then again . . . Shiori's still in shock, right? (Okay, I need help. Asking questions about my own fics. Kuro: She's finally cracked! *gets hit on head* Owie) And we all know Karasu's a freakin' madman. *Runs away from Karasu and Karasu fans ducking numerous pointy objects* PLEASE REVIEW!! 


	21. Lay a Finger on her and you die

Okay then! Here's chapter twenty-one (dang) of A Chance Reunion. But first, a few questions and replies to reviews. . . .  
  
To SedaiDragon: You were talking about how Kurama doesn't run his mouth before killing someone. Looking back over the DVDs and stuff, yeah, you're right, but I'm playing with emotions in this fic. When people are in shock, or in love, or their emotions are just running high, they tend to act a little out-of-character. And remember, Kurama's P.O.ed at Karasu kidnapping his mom, ran in to see him about to kill her . . . yeah, me thinks you get my point. If you look back at the fic a little bit, you'll see that I've played with it a lot with Shiori and Kuronue, and just recently with Kurama . . . so forgive me, I think he'll be back to his old self after he kicks Karasu's lousy a$$. *Once again is seen running from Karasu and Karasu fans ducking numerous pointy objects*  
  
Oh, and about the chapters . . . yeah, I know I said three, but because I rolled all the three options into one, it's kinda taken longer than planned. It doesn't help that I write such short chapters.  
  
To Anime Crazy Girl: Calm yourself, you're making a scene (just joking, really.)  
  
That's it, I think . . . On with the show/fic!  
  
Disclaimer: Yeah . . . they aren't mine . . . nobody is, I think . . .   
  
"LAY A FINGER ON HER AND YOU DIE, KARASU!!"  
  
Shiori's eyes snapped open she felt Karasu pull away from her. The youkai was looking toward the doorway and-following his eyes-Shiori saw Kurama- (My son,) she told herself-standing in the doorway, rose in hand. Shiori dimly noticed the absence of Kuronue and Jeroun, but she gaped at Kurama, who was shakily raising the rose and pointing the bud at Karasu. Shiori felt her eyes water with tears. Never since the day of his birth had she been so glad to see him. She cried out, and saw his eyes glance briefly in her direction before focusing on Karasu again.  
"Kurama, it's been a while," he said smoothly, his voice like silk, and yet like a dagger cutting through the silence of the room.  
"Not long enough," Kurama growled through clenched teeth. Karasu smiled behind his mask, and waved his hand about in the air. Shiori saw Kurama tense.  
"What do you want with my mother?" Shiori's heart leapt. He still thought of her as his mother! If it was even possible-and not that the others could see it-Karasu grinned even wider.  
"I wanted her to get to you," he said. At this point, Shiori scrambled to her feet and tried to catch Kurama's attention. His eyes flicked to her, and Karasu even turned. "My lady," he said, reaching out for her, "You should not be involved with this." He laid a hand to her cheek.  
"ROSE WHIP!!!" A long, spiky whip lashed out, catching Karasu on the hand, causing the youkai to curse and withdraw. He turned back to the doorway. Shiori's eyes followed his own, and she saw the handle of the spiky whip in his hand. He was also considerably closer to the pair of them. His green eyes were cold as ice, and with a flick of his wrist, had the whip curled up in his hand. "I warned you," he told Karasu, who was still nursing his hand.  
"Perhaps," he said, bringing down the hand, which Shiori couldn't help but notice was fully healed. "I should remind you how close to death you were in our last fight."  
"Death!" Shiori shrieked. "Shu-Kurama. . . . "  
"'Kassan! Please," Kurama said. "Give me a chance to explain."  
"Do I?" Karasu asked, bringing his hand forward. Shiori saw Kurama's hand loosen its grip, and the whip within it slowly began to uncurl, ready to strike. (He'll attack; he's ready to lash out with that thing,) Shiori noticed.  
"That's been an issue I've been wanting to talk to you about," Kurama said. "Why the-why are you still alive? I-" Kurama broke off. He had a feeling that it would not be a good thing to mention that he had killed Karasu a few months before. There was no reason to make Shiori hate him more than she did already, or so Kurama thought.  
"You killed me?" Karasu asked. Kurama hung his head as he heard Shiori intake breath sharply, in a gasp. Even though Kurama could not see the other youkai, he could sense the smile that was creeping over Karasu's lips.  
"Y-yes," he said slowly, and heard Shiori gasp again. Kurama looked up. His mother was looking at him with a mixture of fear and respect in her eyes. Kurama swallowed the lump in his throat. "I thought I killed you, but it was only to save myself. How did you come back?"  
"My guide to the Spirit World was not as careful as she should have been," Karasu said, his voice becoming almost too sickly-sweet to stand. Shiori stared as her son regarded the youkai with cold eyes. "My spirit was able to escape, and return to my body, although it took me a while to heal."  
"Not long enough!" Kurama yelled, lashing out with the whip he held in his hand. Karasu jumped away, not wanting to blow up the whip like he had before. Shiori yelled as the raven-haired youkai landed behind her and placed his hands on her neck.  
"Is that any way to treat someone who's been keeping your mother safe?" Karasu asked, applying gentle pressure to Shiori's neck. In spite of herself, the woman screamed, and Kurama would have struck Karasu, had the youkai not been guarded by Shiori.  
"'Kassan?" Kurama asked, truly startled by the information. He tried to look Shiori in the eye, but his mother turned her head as best she could. "Is this true?"  
"Kurama," she said. "I don't know what he did to you, but he has been helping me. He . . . saved me from a beating." Kurama dropped his whip.  
"No," he whispered.  
"Do you think that your mother lies to you?" Karasu asked the kitsune. "Does she look like a liar?" Karasu jerked Shiori's head around to look Kurama in the eye. "Answer me, kitsune!!" This time it was Kurama who looked down. "Then we shall settle this the hard way." Kurama let out a yell as Karasu hit Shiori on the head, knocking the poor woman out, before leaping at Kurama.  
  
*Meanwhile. . . .*  
  
"Where the heck do you think he's gotten by now?"  
"I dunno, Jeroun, that fox can run when he's pissed!!" Kuronue and Jeroun made their way through the thick undergrowth of the forest they had been traveling through for the past hour. After the fight earlier that morning, Kurama had left the two of them, yelling only the direction he was traveling in and yelling something about Karasu's gunpowder smell. Kuronue knew that Kurama was pissed, for he was not acting like himself. Jeroun just thought that the kitsune had gone mental.  
"Kuronue?"  
"Nani?"  
"Are you sure that we're going the right way?"  
"Kurama said that he was going to the west, so therefore, we are going to the west," Kuronue said. Jeroun stopped and looked around them.  
"I don't think that we're going to the west, I think we're going east," Jeroun said. Kuronue rounded on him.  
"Who's in charge here, me or you?" Kuronue yelled right into Jeroun's face. Jeroun jumped about a foot in the air before coming crashing down on none other than. . . .  
"Nice, you crushed the baka," said a voice. Jeroun looked at who was underneath him.  
"Oh, sorry, Kuwabara," he said, getting off of the orange-haired boy. Kuwabara jumped to his feet, and Hiei jumped down from a nearby tree. "What's up? What's the human doing here?"  
"Hey, guys," Kuronue said.  
"That's not nice, Jeroun!! You're just as bad as Hiei!!" Kuwabara yelled.  
"I think it would be best if you kept your mouth shut until we get home," Yusuke said, coming out from behind the tree that Hiei was in.  
"What's everybody doing here?" Jeroun asked.  
"Well, what are you two doing here?" Yusuke countered. Jeroun paused a moment.  
"Helping Kurama," the slightly dim youkai answered after a moment.  
"Well, that's exactly what we're doing," Yusuke said.  
"Uh, guys?"  
"What is it, Kuwabara?"  
"Where is Kurama?" The three newcomers looked around, puzzled while the other two grinned sheepishly. Jeroun began to scratch the back of his head while Kuronue spoke.  
"Yeah, he ran west while yelling about this dude named Karasu, or something like that," Kuronue said. Yusuke, Kuwabara, and Hiei looked slightly surprised.  
"Karasu?" Kuwabara asked.  
"Kurama killed him," Yusuke stated after a moment.  
"Well, apparently he's still alive," Kuronue said. "Otherwise he would not have been able to kidnap Kurama's mother."  
"Okay, he's gonna be pissed," Kuwabara muttered to Yusuke.  
"No kidding," Yusuke muttered back.  
"One more thing," Hiei said from atop another tree. The other four looked up at him. Kuronue raised his eyebrows.  
"Yeah?"  
"If Kurama's heading west, why are we going east?"  
  
*Back to Kurama. . . .*  
  
"You really think . . . you can get away with this . . . don't you?" Kurama panted while facing Karasu. "You really think that you'll get away with hurting my mother like that."  
"Look at yourself kitsune," Karasu said. Kurama, for the second time in less than a week, looked worse for the wear. His hair was matted with sweat and blood, both from himself and the raven-haired youkai. His clothes were ripped in several places, while several rips oozed slowly running blood. As Kurama considered what Karasu was saying, a drop of a blood and sweat mixture fell from one of Kurama's bangs into his eyes. He yelled and stumbled backward. Karasu took this moment to strike, leaping and reaching out toward Kurama. Kurama noticed just in time and jumped backward.  
"I think you might want to do the same," Kurama said. It was true, the raven-haired youkai had suffered just as much damage as the kitsune had. His hair was nearly stained red with the blood that had been spilled onto it. His clothes were torn in various places, with cuts underneath them from Kurama's rose whip, which Karasu had not managed to blow up yet. That puzzled the both of them. Karasu backed away from Kurama, his breath coming in short gasps. Even though he wasn't about to let the kitsune see it, his energy was slowly diminishing.  
"I think that we should end this now," Karasu said, falling into a fighting stance. Kurama readied his whip again. "Are you ready?"  
"I was just thinking the same thing," Kurama said. Without warning, he struck, the whip lashing out again, hitting Karasu in the leg. The youkai cursed and fell down onto his knees.  
"Kurama," Karasu breathed, letting the air hiss out between his teeth. "You're the only person who ever . . . ever hurt me more than once . . . and in more than one way."  
"Shut up!" Kurama yelled. He didn't want to hear about the youkai's other troubles. Karasu was either going to kill him, or be killed by him. He pulled his hand back, and with a flick of his wrist, sent the whip flying. Karasu looked at the impending death speeding toward him.  
"I guess it won't be too bad to die again," Karasu said. With that, he stood up, nearly blacking out because of the pain in his leg, and ran, as best he could, toward Kurama's weapon. He let out a scream that bored into Kurama like needle points as weapon hit flesh, and the youkai fell.  
"Karasu . . . you . . . you idiot," Kurama mumbled when his tired brain registered what had happened. "Why'd you do that?"  
"Good-bye, Kurama," whispered the injured youkai. Kurama walked over, and shut Karasu's eyes as the life fled from the raven-haired body.  
"Perhaps . . . if we met differently," Kurama mumbled. "We could have been friends." Kurama heard a faint moan, and looked over to his mother, who was coming to across the room. Kurama blinked suddenly, remembering why he was here and what had happened. (She stayed unconscious through the entire fight,) Kurama thought. (That's strange.)  
"Shu-Shuichi," Shiori mumbled. Kurama smiled and walked over to her.  
"I'm right here," he said, taking hold of her hand. She looked at him, her eyes wide with fear. "D-do you remember anything?" Shiori nodded. That was when Kurama lost it. "I-I'm sorry 'kassan, I-I lied to you, but I didn't want to, but I was so afraid that-"  
"Shh, Kurama, everything's fine," Shiori said, putting a finger to her son's lips. Kurama sighed and closed his eyes. "I understand where you were coming from on this. I've had a lot of time to think about it. And I don't care who you are, or what your past was like. You're my son now, and as long as all of that . . . was in the past . . . it's all right. I love you, Kurama."  
"I . . . I love you too, kassan," Kurama said, putting his arms around her. Shiori closed her eyes, and thought about how strange the past few days had been . . . and . . . it felt right to call her son Kurama, although a part of him would remain her little Shuichi forever.  
"Hey! I thought I heard something this way!" Kurama and Shiori broke the embrace and looked toward the doorway, where, a moment later, Kuronue appeared. "Ha, I told 'em you guys were this way." Kurama blinked.  
"Who's here exactly?" he asked. Kuronue began counting on his fingers.  
"Ah, well, there's me and Jeroun, of course, and then there's Yusuke, and Kuwabara, and Hiei," he said, ticking off one finger for each person.  
"They all came?" Kurama asked, surprised. Kuronue nodded.  
"Yeah, of course we all came, Kurama," Kuronue said. "That's cause we all wanted to help. Although," he added, looking around at the dining room that had become Kurama and Karasu's battlefield. His eyes rested on Karasu's body for a moment before turning back to Kurama. "I guess you really didn't need help, did you?" Kurama looked around, trying to avoid seeing Karasu's body, and sighed.  
"Yeah, I guess you're right," Kurama said. "Now come on, help me get 'kassan out of these chains." Kuronue and Kurama set to work on the chains. Every few moments, Kurama would glance at either his former partner or his mother and wondered how his life turned out this way.  
"Aw, man, we missed the fight." Kuronue smiled at Yusuke, Kuwabara, Hiei, and Jeroun who had just appeared in the doorway. Kurama, who had been making sure that his mother was unharmed after undoing the chains, jumped slightly before turning and laughing at the disappointed look on Yusuke's face.  
"Ah, it was nothing you guys haven't seen before," Kurama said. Hiei "hn"ed, Kuwabara began trying to figure out what Kurama meant, Yusuke grinned, Jeroun shook his head, still thinking the kitsune had gone mental, and Kuronue clapped his former partner on the shoulder.  
"Come on, everyone," Kuronue said. "Let's go home." As Yusuke and Jeroun led Shiori out of the castle (against Kurama's better judgment) Kurama pulled Kuronue aside.  
"You're staying with us then?" he asked. Kuronue grinned.  
"Why not?" he asked. "There's not a whole lot for me in the Makai anymore, besides a bunch of people who hate me for stealing something of theirs." Kurama laughed. '  
"Yeah, I guess you're right," he said. "And once you've quit being a thief, it's hard to get back in the habit." Kuronue looked at Kurama like he had gone crazy.  
"Who said I wanted to go back?" he said. "All thievery ever did for me is almost get me killed!"  
"I thought it had killed you," Kurama said softly. Kuronue clapped the kitsune on the shoulder. Kurama looked up at him.  
"D'you think that, even though we don't steal anymore, we could be partners again?" Kuronue asked. When a grin broke out on the kitsune's face, Kuronue thought Kurama was laughing at him, so the words that came out of his mouth surprised the chimera.  
"Why not?" Kurama asked. "We can still fight together, right?"  
"Right."  
"KURAMA! KURONUE!! WHAT'S TAKING SO LONG?? WE'RE GONNA LEAVE YOU GUYS HERE IF YOU DON'T GET YOUR BUTTS UP HERE!!"  
"And there's Yusuke," Kurama said, "Come on, we don't want him to leave us."  
"WE'RE COMING!!!"  
"Kuronue! Not so loud!"  
"What?"  
"Forget it."   
  
Phew. This took a while to write. It was hard, because I couldn't find the right way to start the chapter. AND I AM STILL NOT AT 300 REVIEWS!! NOOOOOOOOOOO!!!! Ahem. Sorry. I really want 300 reviews. I would be happy. Anyway . . . I don't know what else to say . . . so, erm, bye!! 


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